UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIR ILLUSTRATED LONDON LIBRARY. OF THE ^> 'UNIVERSITY f 0ttrac|j Hmmir tire OFFICE OF THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON LIBRARY, 227, STRAND. A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD, FROM VIENNA TO BRAZIL, CHILI, TAHITI, CHINA, HINDOSTAN, PERSIA, AND ASIA MINOR. AN UNABRIDGED TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN OF IDA PFEIFFER. ILLUSTRATED WITH TINTED ENGRAVINGS. Stamlr LONDON, 337, STRAND. LONDON: PRINTED BY FETTER, DUFF, AND CO. PLAYHOUSE YARD, BLACKFRIARS. PREFACE. I HAVE been called, in many of the public journals, a "professed tourist j" but I am sorry to say that I have no title to the appel- lation in its usual sense. On the one hand, I possess too little wit and humour to render my writings amusing ; and, on the other, too little knowledge to judge rightly of what I have gone through. The only gift to which I can lay claim is that of nar- rating in a simple manner the different scenes in which I have played a part, and the different objects I have beheld j if I ever pronounce an opinion, I do so merely on my own personal experience. Many will perhaps believe that I undertook so long a journey from vanity. I can only say in answer to this whoever thinks so should make such a trip himself, in order to gain the con- viction, that nothing but a natural wish for travel, a boundless desire of acquiring knowledge, could ever enable a person to overcome the hardships, privations, and dangers to which I have been exposed. In exactly the same manner as the artist feels an invincible desire to paint, and the poet to give free course to his thoughts, so was I hurried away with an unconquerable wish to see the X PREFACE. world. In my youth I dreamed of travelling in my old age I find amusement in reflecting on what I have beheld. The public received very favourably my plain unvarnished account of " A Voyage to the Holy Land, and to Iceland and Scandinavia." Emboldened by their kindness, I once more step forward with the journal of my last and most considerable voyage, and I shall feel content if the narration of my adventures procures for my readers only a portion of the immense fund of pleasure derived from the voyage by THE AUTHORESS. Vienna, March 16, 1850. With the hope that we may forward the views of the authoress, and be the means of exciting the public attention to her position and wants, we append the following statement by Mr. A. Petermann, which appeared in the Athenceum of the 6th of December, 1851 : " Madame Pfeiffer came to London last April, with the intention of undertaking a fresh journey; her love of travelling appearing not only unabated, but even augmented by the success of her journey round the world. She had planned, as her fourth undertaking, a journey to some of those portions of the globe which she had not yet visited namely, Australia and the islands of the Asiatic Archipelago, intending to proceed thither by the usual route round the Cape. Her purpose was, however, changed while in London. The recently discovered Lake Ngami, in Southern Africa, and the interesting region to the north, towards the equator the reflection how successfully she had travelled among savage tribes, where PREFACE. XI armed men hesitated to penetrate, how well she had born alike the cold of Iceland and the heat of Babylonia and lastly, the suggestion that she might be destined to raise the veil from some of the totally unknown por- tions of the interior of Africa made her determine on stopping at the Cape, and trying to proceed thence, if possible, northwards into the equatorial regions of the African Continent. " Madame Pfeifter left for the Cape on the 22nd of May last, in a sail- ing vessel her usual mode of travelling by sea, steamboats being too expensive. She arrived safely at Cape Town on the llth of August, as I learned from a letter which I received from her last week, dated the 20th of August. From that letter the following are exti-acts : " ' The impression which this place (Cape Town) made on me, was not an agreeable one. The mountains surrounding the town are bare, the town itself (London being still fresh in my recollection) resembles . village. The houses are of only one story, with terraces instead of roofs. From the deck of the vessel a single tree was visible, standing on a hill. In short, on my arrival I was at once much disappointed, and this disappointment rather increases than otherwise. In the town the European mode of living is entirely prevalent more so than in any other place abroad that I have seen. I have made a good many inquiries as to travelling into the interior, and have been, throughout, assured that the natives are everywhere kindly disposed to travellers, and that as a woman I should be able to penetrate much farther than a man ; and I have been strongly advised to undertake a journey as far as the unknown lakes, and even beyond. Still, with all these splendid prospects and hopes, I fear I shall travel less in this country than in any other. Here, the first thing you are told is, that you must purchase waggons, oxen, horses, asses, hire expensive guides, &c., &c. How far should I reach in this way with my 100 sterling? I will give you an example of the charges in this country: for the carriage of my little luggage to my lodgings I had to pay 10s. 6d.! I had previously landed in what I thought the most expensive places in the world London, Calcutta, Canton, &c. had everywhere a much greater distance to go from the vessel to my lodgings, and nowhere had I paid half of what they charged me here. Board and lodging I have also found very dear. Fortunately, I Xll PREFACE. have been very kindly received into the house of Mr. Thaewitzer, the Hamburgh consul, where I live very agreeably, but do not much advance the object which brought me here. I shall, in the course of the month, undertake a short journey with some Dutch boers to Klein Williams; and I fear that this will form the beginning and the end of my travels in this country.' " Prom these extracts it will be seen that the resolute lady has at her command but very slender means for the performance of her journeys. The sum of 100, which was granted to her by the Austrian Government, forms the whole of her funds. Private resources she has none. It took her twenty years to save enough money to perform her first journey! namely, that to the Holy Land. While in London she received scarcely any encouragement, and her works were not appreciated by the public, or indeed known till she had left this country. It is to be regi-etted that the want of a little pecuniary assistance should deter the enterprising lady from carrying out her projected journey in Southern Africa. Though not a scientific traveller, she is a faithful recorder of what she sees and hears ; and she is prepared to note the bearings and distances of the journey, make meteorological observations, and keep a careful diary, so that the results of her projected journey would perhaps be of as much interest as those of other travellers of greater pretensions." CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE VOYAGE TO THE BRAZILS. PAGE Departure from Vienna Stay in Hamburgh Steamers and Sailing Vessels- Departure from Hamburgh Cuxhaven The British Channel Flying-fish The Phisolida Constellations Passing the Line The " Vamperos " A Gale and Storm -Cape Trio Arrival in the Port of Rio Janeiro . . . 1-14 CHAPTER II. ARRIVAL AND SOJOURN IN Rio JANEIRO. Introduction Arrival Description of the Town The Blacks, and their Rela- tions to the Whites Arts and Sciences Festivals of the Church Baptism of the Imperial Princess Fete in the Barracks Climate and Vegetation- Manners and Customs A Few Words to Emigrants 15-28 CHAPTER III. EXCURSIONS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF Rio JANEIRO. The Waterfalls near Teschuka Boa Vista The Botanical Gardens and their Environs The Corcovado Mountains, -2,253 feet above the level of the Sea- Palaces of the Imperial Family The newly-founded German Colony of Petropolis Attempt at Murder by a Maroon Negro 29-30 CHAPTER IV. JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BRAZILS. The Towns of Morroqueimado (Novo Friburgo) and Aldea do Pedro Plantations of the Europeans Burning Forests Last Settlement of the Whites Visit to the Indians, also called Puris or Rabocles Return to Rio Janeiro . . 37-52 CHAPTER V. Tin: VOYAGE ROUND CAPE HORN. Drpartmv iVom Rio Janeiro Santos and St. Paulo Circumnavigation of Cape Horn TIic Straits of Magellan Arrival in Valparaiso 8th December, 184(5, to 2nd March, 1847 53-(V-> CHAPTER VI. ARRIVAL AND RESIDENCE IN VALPARAISO. Appearance of the Town Public Buildings A few Observations on the Manners and Customs of the Lower Classes The Eating-houses of Polanka The Cherub (Angelito) The Railroad Gold and Silver Mines .... 03-69 XIV CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. THE VOYAGE FROM VALPARAISO TO CANTON, VIA TAHITI. Departure from Valparaiso Tahiti Manners and Customs of the People Fete and Ball in Honour of Louis Philippe Excursions A Tahitian Dinner The Lake Vaihiria The Defile of Fantua and the Diadem Departure Arrival in China CHAPTER VIII. CHINA. Macao Hong-Kong Victoria Voyage on board a Chinese Junk The Si-Kiang, called also the Tigris Whampoa Canton, or Kuangtscheu-fu Mode of Life pursued by Europeans The Chinese Manners and Customs Criminals and Pirates Murder of Vauchee Promenades and Excursions 89-115 CHAPTER IX. THE EAST INDIES SINGAPORE. Arrival in Hong-Kong The English Steamer Singapore Plantations A Hunt- ing Party in the Jungle A Chinese Funeral The Feast of Lanterns- Temperature and Climate 1 1C- 127 CHAPTER X. THE -EAST INDIES CEYLON. Departure from Singapore The Island of Pinang Ceylon Pointe de Galle Excursion into the Interior Colombo Candy The Temple of Dagoha Elephant Hunt Return to Colombo and Pointe de Galle .... 128-188 CHAPTER XI. MADRAS AND CALCUTTA. Departure from Ceylon Madras Calcutta Mode of Life of the Europeans The Hindoos Principal Objects of Interest in the Town Visit to a Baboo- Religious Festivals of the Hindoos Houses of Death and Places for Burn- ing the Dead Mahomedan and European Marriage Ceremonies 130-155 CHAPTER XII. BENARES. Departure from Calcutta Entrance into the Ganges Rajmahal Gur Jun- ghera Monghyr Patna Deinapoor Gesipoor Benares Religion of the Hindoos Description of the Town Palaces and Temples The Holy Pian-s The Holy Apes The Ruins of Saranth An Indigo Plantation A Visit, to the Rajah of Benares Martyrs and Fakirs The Indian Peasant The Mis- sionary Establishment 156-173 CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER XIII. ALLAHABAD, AGRA, AND DELHI. VAOE Allahabad Caunipoor Agra The Mausoleum of Sultan Akbar, Taj-Mehal The Ruined Town of Fattipoor-Sikri Delhi The Main Street Public Pro- cessionsThe Emperor's Palace Palaces and Mosques Old Delhi Re- markable Ruins The English Military Station 174-191 CHAPTER XIV. JOURNEY FROM DELHI TO BOMBAY. The Thugs or Stranglers Departure Cattle-market Baratpoor Biana Wells and Ponds Good-nature of the Indians Poppy Plantations The Suttis Notara Kottah Description of the Town The Royal Palace of Armor- nevas Amusements and Dances The Holy Village of Kesho-Rae-Patum . 192-205 CHAPTER XV. JOURNEY FROM DELHI TO BOMBAY, CONTINUED. Travelling on Indian Camels My Meeting with the Burdon Family The Dif- ferent Classes of Women among the Native Population in India Udjein Captain Hamilton Introduction at Court Manufacture of Ice The Rock Temples of Adjunta A Tiger Hunt The Rock Temples of Elora The Fortress of Dowlutabad 208-2*0 CHAPTER XVI. CONTINUATION OF JOURNEY AND SOJOURN. Auranjabad Puna East Indian Marriages The Foolish Waggoner Bombay The Parsees or Fire- Worshippers Indian Burial Ceremonies The Island of Elephanta The Island of Salsetta ... .... 221-234 CHAPTER XVII. FROM BOMBAY TO BAGHDAD. Iteparture from Bombay Small-pox Muscat Bandr- Abas The Persians The Kishma Straits Buschir Entrance into the Schatel-Arab Bassora En- trance into the Tigris Bedouin Tribes Ctesiphon and Seleucia Arrival at Baghdad 285-244 CHAPTER XVIII. MESOPOTAMIA, BAGHDAD, AND BABYLON. Baghdad Principal Buildings Climate Entertainment at the English Resi- dent'sHarem of the Pasha of Baghdad Excursion to the Ruins of Ctesi- phon The Persian Prince, Il-Hany-Ala-Culy-Mirza Excursion to the Ruins of Babylon Departure from Baghdad 245-258 XVI CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIX. MOSUL AND NINEVEH. PA.OE Journey of the Caravan through the Desert Arrival at Mosul Curiosities Excursion to the Ruins of Nineveh and the Village of Nebbi Yunus Second Excursion to the Ruins of Nineveh Tel-Nimroud Arabian Horses De- parture from Mosul 259-270 CHAPTER XX. PERSIA. Journey of the Caravan to Ravandus Arrival at and Stay in Ravandus A Kurdish Family Continuation of the Journey- Sauh-Bulak Oromia American Missionaries Kutschie Three Generous Robbers Persian Khans and English Bungalows Arrival at Tebris 271-290 CHAPTER XXI. SOJOURN IN TEBRIS. Description of the Town The Town Period of Fasting Behmen-Mirza Anec- dotes of the Persian Government Introduction to the Viceroy and his Wife Behmen-Mirza's Wives Visit to a Persian Lady Persecution of the Lower Classes, of the Christians, and of the Jews Departure . . . 291-299 CHAPTER XXII. ASIATIC RUSSIA ARMENIA, GEORGIA, AND MINGRELIA. Sophia Marand The Russian Frontier Natschivan Journey of the Caravan A Night's Imprisonment Continuation of the Journey Erivan The Russian Post The Tartars Arrival in Tiflis Sojourn there Continuation of the Journey Kutais Marand Trip on the Ribon Redutkale . . . 800-S17 CHAPTER XXIII. EUROPEAN RUSSIA. Departure from Redutkale Attack of Cholera Anapka Suspicious Ship Kertsch The Museum Tumuli Continuation of the Journey Theodosia (Caffa) Prince Woronzoff's Palace The Fortress of Sewastopol Odessa . 818-328 CHAPTER XXIV. CONSTANTINOPLE AND ATHENS. Constantinople Changes Two Fires Voyage to Greece Quarantine at JEgina A Day in Athens Calamachi : the Isthmus Patras Corfu . . . 829-388 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. ATHENS FRONTISPIECE. CAPE HORN TITLE. RIO JANEIRO Page 14 A STORM IN THE ATLANTIC 58 CHINESE FEAST OF LANTERNS 127 HINDOO ABLUTIONS AT BENARES 166 THE TAJ-MEHAL 179 THE ROCK TEMPLES OF ELORA 218 JOURNEY WITH AN ARAB CARAVAN .284 TEBRIS 291 A MIGRATING HORDE OF TARTARS 308 CONSTANTINOPLE . 329 OF TH ERS ? WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. CHAPTER I. THE VOYAGE TO THE BRAZILS. DEPARTURE PROM VIENNA STAY IN HAMBURGH STEAMERS AMD SAILING VESSELS DEPARTURD FROM HAMHUKGH CUXHAVEN THE BRITISH CHANNEL FLYING- PISH THE PHYSOLIDA CONSTELLATIONS PASSING THE LINE THE " VAMPEROS" A GALE AND STORM CAPE FRIO ARRIVAL IN THE PORT OF Rio JANEIRO. ON the 1st of May, 1846, I left Vienna, and, with the exception of slig-ht stoppages at Prague, Dresden, and Leipsic, proceeded directly to Hambug-h, there to embark for the Brazils. In Prague I had the pleasure of meeting Count Berchthold, who had accompanied me during- a portion of my journey in the East. He informed me that he should like to be my companion in the voyage to the Brazils, and I promised to wait for* him in Hamburgh. I had a second most interesting 1 meeting" on the steamer from Prague to Dresden, namely, with the widow of Professor Mikan. In the year 1817, this lady had, on the occasion of the marriage of the Austrian Princess Leopoldine with Don Pedro I., followed her hus- band to the Brazils, and afterwards made with him a scientific journey into the interior of the country. I had often heard this lady's name mentioned, and my joy at making- her personal acquaintance was very u'reat. In the kindest and most amiable manner she communicated to me the results of her long- experience, and added advice and rules of conduct, which proved afterwards highly useful. I arrived in Hamburgh on the 1-Jth of May; and, as early as the 13th, might have embarked on board a fine fast-sailing- brig-,' which, besides, was christened the "Ida," like myself. With a heavy heart I saw this iine vessel set sail. 1 was obliged to remain behind, as I had promised my travelling- companion to await his arrival. Week after week elapsed, with nothing- but the fact of my staying- with my relatives to lighten the dreariness of suspense; at last, about the middle of June, the Count came, and shortly afterwards we found a vessel a Danish brig, the " Caroline," Captain Bock, bound for Rio Janeiro. I had now before me a long voyage, which could not be made under two months t the least, and which, possibly, might last three 2 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. or four. Luckily I had already lived for a considerable period on board sailing 1 vessels during my former travels, and was therefore acquainted with their arrangements, which are very different from those of steamers. On board a steamer everything 'is agreeable and luxurious ; the vessel pursues her rapid course independent of the wind, and the passengers enjoy good and fresh provisions, spacious cabins, and excellent society. In sailing vessels all this is very different, as, with the exception of the large East Indiamen, they are not fitted up for passengers. In them the cargo is looked upon as the principal thing, and in the eyes of the crew passengers are a troublesome addition, whose comfort is generally very little studied. The captain is the only person who takes an interest in them, since a third, or even the half, of the passage- money falls to his share. The space, too, is so confined, that you can hardly turn yourself round in the sleeping cabins, while it is quite impossible to stand upright in the berths. Besides this, the motion of a sailing vessel is much stronger than that of a steamer ; on the latter, however, many affirm that the eternal vibration, and the disagreeable odour of the oil and coals, are totally insupportable. For my own part, I never found this to be the case ; it certainly is unpleasant, but much easier to bear than the many inconveniences always existing on board a sailing vessel. The passenger is there a complete slave to every whim or caprice of the captain, who is an absolute sovereign and holds uncontrolled sway over everything. Even the food depends upon his generosity, an'd although it is generally not absolutely bad, in the best instances it is not equal to that on board a steamer. The following form the ordinary diet: tea and coffee without milk, bacon and junk, soup made with peas or cabbage, potatoes, hard dumplings, salted cod, and ship-biscuit. On rare occasions, ham, eggs, fish, pancakes, or even skinny fowls, are served out. It is very seldom, in small ships, that bread can be procured. To render the living more palatable, especially on a long voyage, passengers would do well to take with them a few additions to the ship's fare. The most suitable are : portable soup and captain's bis- cuit both of which should be kept in tin canisters to preserve them from mouldiness and insects a good quantity of eggs, which, when the vessel is bound for a southern climate, should first be dipped in strong lime-water or packed in coal-dust ; rice, potatoes, sugar, butter, and all the ingredients for making sangaree and potato-salad, the former being very strengthening and the latter very cooling. I would strongly recommend those who have children w r ith them to take a goat as well. As regards wine, passengers should take especial care to ask the captain whether this is included in the passage-money, otherwise it will have to be purchased from him at a very high rate. There are also other objects which must not be forgotten, and above all a mattress, bolster, and counterpane, as the berths are gene- rally unfurnished. These can be purchased very cheaply in any sea- port town. Besides this, it is likewise advisable to take a stock of coloured linen. The office of washerwoman is filled by a sailor, so that it may DEPARTURE FROM HAMBURGH. 3 easily be imagined that the linen does not return from the wash in the best possible condition. When the sailors are employed in shifting the sails, great care must be taken to avoid injury by the falling of any of the ropes. But all these inconveniences are comparatively trifling ; the great- est amount of annoyance begins towards the end of the voyage. The captain's mistress is his ship. At sea he allows her to wear an easy neyl/ye, but in port she must appear in full dress. Not a sign of the long voyage, of the storms, of the glowing heat she has suffered, must be visible. Then begins an incessant hammering, planing, and saw- ing ; every flaw, every crack or injury is made good, and, to wind up, the whole vessel is painted afresh. The worst of all, however, is the hammering when the cracks in the deck are being repaired and filled up with pitch. This is almost unbearable. But enough of annoyances. I have described them merely to pre- pare, in some degree, those who have never been to sea. Persons iv 'siding' in seaport towns do not, perhaps, stand in need of this, for they hear these matters mentioned every day ; but such is not the case with us poor souls who have lived all our lives in inland cities. Very often we hardly know how a steamer or a sailing vessel looks, much less the mode of life on board them. I speak from experience, and know too well what I myself suffered on my first vo} T age, simply because, not having been warned beforehand, I took nothing with me save a small stock of linen and clothes. At present I will proceed with the progress of my voyage. We embarked on the evening of the 28th of June, and weighea anchor before daybreak of the '2()th. The voyage did not commence in any very encouraging manner ; we had very little, in fact almost no wintl at all, and, compared to us, every pedestrian appeared to be running- a race ; we made the nine miles to Blankenese in seven hours. Luckily the slow rate at which we proceeded was not so disagree- able, as, at first, for a considerable period we beheld the magnificent port, and afterwards could admire, on the Holstein side, the beautiful country houses of the rich Hamburghers, situated upon charming eminences and surrounded by lovely gardens. The opposite side, be- longing to Hanover, is as flat and monotonous as the other is beautiful. About here the Elbe, in many places, is from three to four miles broad. Before, reaching Blankenese the ships take in their stock of water from the Elbe. This water, although of a dirty and thick appearance, is sml to possess the valuable quality of resisting putridity for years. \Ve did not reach Gliickstadt (37 miles from Hamburgh) before the morning of the 30th. As there was not now a breath of wind, we were entirely at the mercy of the stream, and began drifting back. The captain, therefore, ordered the men to cast anchor, and profited by the leisure thus forced upon him to have the chests and boxes made fast on the deck and in the hold. We idlers had permission granted us to land and visit the town, in which, however, we found but little to admire. There were eight passengers on board. The four cabin places were taken by Count Berchthold, myself, and two young people who hoped to B 4 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. make their fortunes sooner in the Brazils than in Europe. The price of a passage in the first cabin was 100 dollars (20 165. 8d.), and in the steerage 50 dollars (10 8*. 4d.)- In the steerage, besides two worthy tradesmen, were a poor old woman, who was going, in compliance with the wish of her only son, who had settled in the Brazils, to join him there, and a married woman, whose husband had been working as a tailor for the last six years in Rio Janeiro. People soon become acquainted on board a ship, and generally endeavour to agree as well as possible, in order to render the monotony of a long voyage at all supportable. On the 1st of July we again set sail in rather stormy weather. We made a few miles, but were soon obliged to cast anchor once more. The Elbe is here so wide, that we could hardly see its banks, and the swell so strong, that sea-sickness began to manifest itself among our company. On the 2nd of July we again attempted to weigh anchor, but with no better success than the day before. Towards evening we saw some dolphins, called also tummlers, or tumblers, as well as. several gulls, which announced to us that we were fast nearing the sea. A great many vessels passed quickly by us. Ah ! they could turn to account the storm and wind which swelled out their sails, and drove- them rapidly towards the neighbouring port. We grudged them their good fortune ; and perhaps we had to thank this specimen of Christian love on our part, that on the 3rd of July we had not got further than Cuxhaven, seventy-four miles from Hamburgh. The 4th of July was a beautifully fine day, for those who could re- main quietly on shore ; but for those on board ship it was bad enough, as there was not the slightest breath of wind stirring. To get rid of our lamentations, the captain launched out in praises of the charming little town, and had us conveyed to land. We visited the town, as well as the bathing establishment and the lighthouse, and afterwards actually proceeded as far as a place called the " Bush," where, as we were told, we should find a great abundance of strawberries. After wandering about, over fields and meadows, for a good hour in the glowing heat, we found the Bush, it is true, but, instead of strawberries, discovered only frogs and adders there. We now proceeded into the scanty wood, where we saw about twenty tents erected. A bustling landlord came up, and, offering us some glasses of bad milk, said that every year a fair is held in the Bush for three weeks, or rather on three successive Sundays, for during 1 the week-days the booths are closed. The landlady also came tripping towards us, and invited us, in a very friendly manner, to spend the next Sunday with them. She assured us that we should " amuse our- selves charmingly " that we elder members of the company should find entertainment in the wonderful performances of the tumblers and jugglers, and the younger gentlemen find spruce young girls for partners in the dance. We expressed ourselves much pleased at this invitation, promised to be sure to come, and then extended our walk to Kitzebiittel, where we admired a small castle and a miniature park. 5th July. Nothing is so changeable as the weather : yesterday we were revelling in sunshine, and to-day we were surrounded by a CUXHAVEN HELIGOLAND. 5 thick, dark fog ; and yet this, bad as it was, we found more agreeable than the fine weather of the day before, for a slight breeze sprang up, and at 9 o'clock in the morning we heard the rattling of the capstan, as the anchor was being weighed. In consequence of this, the young people were obliged to give up the idea of an excursion to the Bush, and defer all dancing with pretty girls until their arrival in another hemisphere, for it was fated that" they should not set foot in Europe again. The transition from the Elbe to the North Sea is scarcely perceptible , as the Elbe is not divided into different channels, but is eight or ten miles broad at its mouth. It almost forms a small sea of itself, and has even the green hue of one. We were, consequently, very much surprised on hearing the captain exclaim, in a joyful tone, " We are out of the river at last." We imagined that we had long since been sailing upon the wide ocean. In the afternoon, we bore in sight of the island of Heligoland, which Belongs to the English, and presented really a magical appearance, as it rose out from the sea. It is a barren, colossal rock ; and had I not learned, from one of the newest works on geography, that it was peopled by about 2,500 souls, I should have supposed the whole island to have been uninhabited. On three sides, the cliffs rise so precipitously from the waves that all access is impossible. We sailed by the place at a considerable distance, and saw only the towers of the church and lighthouse, in addition to the so-called " Monk," a solitary, perpendicular rock, that is separated from the main body, between which and it there sparkles a small strip of sra. The inhabitants are very poor. The only sources of their livelihood are fishing and bathing visitors. A great number of the latter come every year, as the bathing, on account of the extraordinary swell, is reckoned extremely efficacious. Unfortunately, great fears are enter- tained that this watering-place cannot exist much longer, as every year the island decreases in size, from the continual falling away of large of rock, so that some day the whole place may disappear into the sea. From the 5th to the 10th of July we had continued stormy and cold weather, with a heavy sea, and great rolling of the ship. All we poor " land-lubbers " were suffering from sea sickness. We first entered the British Channel, also called "La Mam-he " (4*20 miles from Cux- liaven), in the night of the 10-1 1th. We awaited with impatience the rising of the sun, which would display to our i^aze two of the mightiest powers in Europe. Luckily, the day was line and clear, and the two kingdoms lay before us, in such magnificence and proximity, that the beholder was almost inclined to believe that a sister people inhabited both countries. On the coast of England, we saw the North Foreland, the Castle (if Sandown, and the town of Deal, stretching out at the foot of the cliffs, which extend for many miles, and are about 150 feet high. Further on, we came in sight'of the South Foreland ; and lastly, the ancimt castle of Dover, that sits right bravely enthroned upon an eminence, and overlooks the surrounding country, far and wide. The town itself lies upon the sea-shore. Opposite Dover, at the narrowest part of the channel, we distm- u 2 G A WOMAirS JOURNEY ROUND THE WOULD. guished, on the French coast, Cape Grisnez, where Napoleon erected a small building 1 , in order, it is said, to be at least able to see England ; and, further on, the obelisk raised in memory of the camp at Boulogne, by Napoleon, but completed under Louis Philippe. The wind being- unfavourable, we were obliged, during- the night, to tack in the neighbourhood of Dover. The great darkness which covered both land and sea rendered this manoeuvre a very dangerous one ; firstly, on account of the proximity of the coast ; and, secondly, on account of the number of vessels passing up and down the channel. To avoid a collision, we hung out a lantern on the foremast, while from time to time a torch was'lighted, and held over the side, and the bell frequently kept sounding : all very alarming occurrences to a person unused to the sea. For fourteen days were we prisoners in the 360 miles of the Channel, remaining very often two or three days, as if spell-bound, in the same place, while we were frequently obliged to cruise for whole days to make merely a few miles ; and near the Start we were overtaken by a tolerably violent storm. During the night I was suddenly called upon deck. I imagined that some misfortune had happened, and hastily throwing a few clothes on, hurried up to enjoy the astonishing spectacle of a "sea-fire." In the wake of the vessel I beheld a streak of fire so strong that it would have been easy to read by its lig'ht ; the water round the ship looked like a glowing stream of lava, and every wave, as it rose up, threw out sparks of fire. The track of the fish was surrounded by an inimitable brilliancy, and far and wide every- thing was one dazzling coruscation. This extraordinary illumination of the sea is of very unfrequent occurrence, and rarely happens after long-continued, violent storms. The captain told me that he had never yet beheld the sea so lighted up. For my part, I shall never forget the sight. A second, and hardly less beautiful, spectacle came under our observation at k another time, when, after a storm, the clouds, gilt by the rays of the sun, were reflected as in a mirror on the bosom of the sea. They glittered and shone with an intensity of colour which surpassed even those of the rainbow. We had full leisure to contemplate Eddystone Lighthouse, which is the most celebrated building of the kind in Europe, as we were cruising about for two days in sight of it. Its height, and the boldness and strength with which It is built, are truly wonderful ; but still more wonderful is its position upon a dangerous reef, situated ten miles from the coast ; at a distance, it seems to be founded in the sea itself. We often sailed so near the coast of Cornwall, that not only could we plainly perceive every village, but even the people in the streets mid in the open country. The land is hilly and luxuriant, and appears carefully cultivated. During the whole time of our cruising in the Channel, the tempera- ture was cold and raw, the thermometer seldom being- higher than (5.V to 75 F;il.. At last, on the 24th of July, we came to the end of the Channel, siiid attained the open sea ; the wind was tolerably favourable, and on the lind of August \\ ( \vm: off Gibraltar, where we were becalmed for t \vt-n tv-f our hours. The captain threw several pieces of white crockery- GIBRALTAR MOROCCO. 7 ware, as well as a number of larg-e bones, overboard, to show how beautifully green such objects appeared as they slowly sank down beneath the sea ; of course this can only be seen in a perfect calm. In the evening" we were greatly -delighted by numbers of molluscth of Aug-ust we beheld, for the first time, flying-fish, but at such a distance that we could scarcely distinguish them. On the 7th of Aug-ust we neared the Canary Isles, hut unfortunately, on account of the thick fog-, we could not see them. We now caught the trade wind, that blows from the east, and is anxiously desired by all sailors. In the night of the 9-1 Oth we entered the tropics. We were now in daily expectation of greater heat and clearer sky, but met with neither. The atmosphere was dull and hazy, and even in our own raw fatherland the sky could not have been so overcast, except upon some days in November. Every evening the clouds were piled upon one another in such a way that we were continually expecting to see a w:it -r-spout ; it was generally not before midnight that the heavens would gradually clear up, and allow us to admire the beautiful and da///,ling constellations of the south. The captain told us that this was the. fourteenth voyage he had 8 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY HOUND THE WORLD. made to the Brazils, during- which time he had always found the heat very easily borne, and had never seen the sky otherwise than dull and lowering-. He said that this was occasioned by the damp, unhealthy coast of Guinea, the ill effects of which were perceptible much further than where we then w r ere, althoug-h the distance between us was 350 miles. In the tropics the quick transition from day to night is already very perceptible ; 35 or 40 minutes after the setting- of the sun the deepest darkness reigns around. The difference in the length of day and night decreases more and more the nearer you approach the Equator. At the Equator itself the day and night are of equal duration. All the 14th and 15th of August we sailed parallel with the Cape de Verde Islands, from which we were not more than 23 miles distant, but which, on account of the hazy state of the weather, we could not see. During this period we used to be much amused by small flocks of flying-fish, which very often rose from the water so near the ship's side, that we were enabled to examine them minutely. They are generally of the size and colour of a herring ; their side tins, however, are longer and broader, and they have the power of spreading arid closing them like little wings. They raise themselves about twelve or fifteen feet above the water, and then, after flying more than a distance of a hundred feet, dive down again for a moment beneath the waves, to recommence directly afterwards : this occurs most frequently when they are pursued by bonitcs or other foes. When they were flying at some distance from the ship they really looked like elegant birds. We very frequently saw the bonitos also, who were pursuing them, endeavour to raise themselves above the water, but they seldom succeeded in raising more than their head. It is very difficult to catch one of these little denizens of the air, as they are to be secured neither by nets nor hooks ; but sometimes the wind will drive them, during the night, upon the deck, where they are discovered, in the morning, dead, not having sufficient strength to raise themselves from dry places ; in this way I obtained a few specimens. To-day, August 15th, we enjoyed a most interesting sight. We happened, exactly at 12 o'clock, to be in the sun's zenith, and the sunbeams fell so perpendicularly that eveiy object was perfectly shadowless. We put books, chairs, ourselves in the sun, and were highly delighted with this unusual kind of amusement. Luckily we had chanced to be at the right spot at the right time ; had we, at the same hour, been only one degree nearer or one degree further, we should have lost the entire sight; when we saw it we were 14 G' (a minute is equal to a nautical mile). All observations with the sextant* were out of the question until we were once more some degres from the zenith. * The sextant, is a mathematical instrument by which the different degrees of longi- tude and latitude are determined, ane said to be unknown : at sunset every one hastens home, as it is immediately followed by darkness and damp. In the height of summer the sun sets at about a quarter past G, and all the rest of the year at G o'clock ; twenty or thirty minutes afterwards, night sets in. The musquitoes, ants, baraten, and sand-fleas are another source of annoyance ; many a night have I been obliged to sit up, tormented and tortured by the bite of these insects. It is hardly possible to protect provisions from the attacks of the baraten and ants. The latter, in fact, often appear in long trains of immeasurable length, pursuing their course over every obstacle which stands in the way. During my stay in the country at Herr Geiger's, I beheld a swarm of this description traverse a portion of the house. It was really most interesting to see what a regular line they formed ; nothing could make them deviate from the direction they had h'rst determined on. Madame Geiger told me that she was one night awoke by a horrible itching; she sprang immediately out of bed, and beheld a swarm of ants of the above description pass over her bed. There is no remedy for this ; the end of the procession, which often lasts four or six hours, must be waited for with patience. Provisions are, to some extent, 26 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY EOU^D THE WORLD. protected from them, by placing 1 the leg's of the tables and presses in plates filled with water. Clothes and linen are laid in tightly-fitting tin canisters, to protect them, not only from the ants, but also from the baraten and the damp. The worst plague of all, however, are the sand-fleas, which attach themselves to one's toes, underneath the nails, or sometimes to the soles of the feet. The moment a person feels an itching in these parts he must immediately look at the place ; if he sees a small black point, surrounded by a small white ring, the former is the flea, and the latter the egg-s which it has laid in the flesh. The first thing- done is to loosen the skin all round as far as the white ring is visible ; the whole deposit is then extracted, and a little snuff strewed in the empty space. The best plan is to call in the first black you may happen to see, as they all perform this operation very skilfully. As regards the natural products of the Brazils, a great many of the most necessary articles are wanting- in the list. It is true that there are sugar and coffee, but no corn, no potatoes, and none of our delicious varieties of fruit. The flour of manioc, which is mixed up with the other materials of which the dishes are composed, supplies the place of bread, but is far from being so nutritious and strengthen- ing, while the different kinds of sweet-tasting roots are certainly not to be compared to our potatoes. The only fruit which are really excellent, are the oranges, bananas, and mangoes. Their celebrated pine-apples are neither very fragrant nor remarkably sweet. I certainly have eaten much finer flavoured ones that had been grown in a European hot-house. The other kinds of fruit are not worth mentioning. Lastly, with the two very necessary articles of con- sumption, milk and meat, the former is very watery, and the latter very dry. On instituting a comparison between the Brazils and Europe, both with respect to the impression produced by the whole, as also to the separate advantages and disadvantages of each, we shall, perhaps, at first find the scale incline towards the former country, but only to turn ultimately, with greater certainty, in favour of the latter. The Brazils is, perhaps, the most interesting country in the world for travellers; but for a place of permanent residence I should most decidedly prefer Europe. I saw too little of the manners and customs of the country to be qualified to pronounce judgment upon them, and I shall therefore, on this head, confine myself to a few remarks. The manners seem, on the whole, to differ but little from those of Europe. The present possessors of the country, as is well known, derive their descent from Portugal, and the Brazilians might very aptly be termed " Europeans translated into Americans ;" and it is very natural, that in this " translation " many peculiarities have been lost, while others have stood forth in greater relief. The strongest feature in the character of the European-American is the greed for gold ; this often becomes a passion, and transforms the most faint-hearted white into a hero, for it certainly requires the courage of one to live alone, as planter, on a plantation with perhaps some hundred slaves, far MANNEBS AND CUSTOMS. 27 removed from all assistance, and with, the prospect of being irrevocably lost in the event of any revolt. This grasping feeling 1 is not confined to the men alone ; it is found among" the women as well, and is greatly encouraged by a common custom here, agreeably to which, a husband never assigns his wife so much for pin-money, but, according to his means, makes her a present of one or more male or female slaves, whom she can dispose of as she chooses. She generally has them taught how to cook, sew, embroider, or even instructed in some trade, and then lets them out, by the day, week, or month,* to people who possess no slaves of their own ; or she lets them take in washing at home, or employs them in the manu- facture of various ornamental objects, fine pastry, &c., which she sends them out to sell. The money for these things belongs to her, and is generally spent in dress and amusement. In the case of tradesmen and professional men, the wife is always paid for whatever assistance she may lend her husband in his business. Morality, unfortunately, is not very general in the Brazils ; one cause of this may be traced to the manner in which the children are first brought up. They are confided entirely to the care of blacks. Negresses suckle them when they are infants, their nurses are negresses, their attendants are negresses and I have often seen girls of eight or ten years of age taken to school, or any other place, by young negroes. The sensuality of the blacks is too well known for us to be surprised, with such" a state of things, at the general and early demoralization. In no other place did I ever behold so many children with such pale and worn faces as in the streets of Rio Janeiro. The second cause of immorality here is, without doubt, the want of reli- gion. The Brazils are thoroughly Catholic perhaps there are no countries, save Spain and Italy, that can be compared to them. Al- most every day there is some procession, service, or church-festival ; but these are attended merely for the sake of amusement, while the true religious feeling is entirely wanting. We may also ascribe to this deep demoralization and want of religion the frequent occurrence of murders, committed not for the sake of robbery or theft, but from motives of revenge and hatred. The murderer either commits the deed himself, or has it perpetrated by one of his slaves, who is ready to lend himself for the purpose, in consideration of a mere trifle. The discovery of the crime need cause the assassin no anxiety, provided he is rich ; for in this country everything, I was assured, can be arranged or achieved with money. I saw several men in Rio Janeiro who had, according to report, com- mitted either themselves, or by the means of others, not one, but several murders, and yet they not only enjoyed perfect liberty, but were received in every society. In conclusion, I beg leave to address a few words to those of my countrymen who think of leaving their native land, to seek their fortune on the distant coast of Brazil a few words which * They are differently paid, according to what they can do. The usual hire of a maid- servant is from ten to twelve shillings per month ; for a cook, twenty-four to forty ; fora nurse, thirty-eight to forty ; for a skilful labourer, fifty to seventy. 28 A WOMAN'S JOUENEY HOUND THE WOELD. I could desire to see as far spread and as well known as pos- sible. There are people in Europe not a whit better than the African slave-dealers, and such people are those who delude poor wretches with exaggerated accounts of the richness of America and her beautiful territories, of the over-abundance of the products of the soil, and the lack of hands to take advantage of them. These people, how- ever, care little about the poor dupes ; their object is to freight the vessels belonging to them, and to effect this they take from their deluded victim the last penny he possesses. During my stay here, several vessels arrived with unfortunate emigrants of this description ; the government had not sent for them, and therefore would afford them no relief; money they had none,, and, consequent^, could not purchase land, neither could they find employment in working on the plantations, as no one will engage Europeans for this purpose, because, being unused to the warm climate, they would soon succumb beneath the work. The unhappy wretches had thus no resource left : they were obliged to beg about the town, and, in the end, were fain to content themselves with the most miserable occupations. A different fate awaits those who are sent for by the Brazilian government to cultivate the land or colonize the coun- try : these persons receive a piece of uncleared ground, with provi- sions and other help ; but if they come over without any money at all, even their lot is no enviable one. Want, hunger, and sickness destroy most of them, and but a very small number succeed, by unceas- ing activity and an iron constitution, in gaining a better means of livelihood than what they left behind them in their native land. Those only who exercise some trade find speedy employment and an easy competency; but even this will, in all probability, soon be otherwise, for great numbers are pouring in every year, and latterly the negroes themselves have been, and are still being, more frequently taught every kind of trade. Let every one, therefore, obtain trustworthy information before leaving his native land ; let him weigh calmly 'and deliberately the step he is about to take, and not allow himself to be carried away by deceptive hopes. The poor creature's misery on being undeceived is so much the more dreadful, because he does not learn the truth until it is too late until he has already fallen a victim to poverty and want. CHAPTER III. EXCURSIONS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF RIO JANEIRO. THE WATEUFALLS NEAR TESCHUKA BOA VISTA THE BOTANICAL GARDENS ANI> THKiit ENVIRONS THE CORCOVADO MOUNTAINS, 2,253 PKET ABOVE THE LEVEL OP THE SEA PALACES OP THE IMPERIAL FAMILY THE NEWLY-FOUNDED GBUMAX COLONY OF PHTUOPOLIS ATTEMPT AT MUIIDER BY A MAROON NEGRO. AN excursion to the waterfalls near Teschuka, to Boa Vista, and the Botanical Gardens, is one of the most interesting 1 near the city ; hut it requires two days, as it takes a long- time to see the Botanical Gar- dens alone. Count Berchthold and myself proceeded as far as Andaracky (four miles) in an omnibus, and then continued our journey on foot, between patches of wood and low hills. Elegant countrv houses are situated upon the eminences and along- the high road, at short dis- tances from each other. When we had walked four miles, a path to the rig-ht conducted us to a small waterfall, neither very high nor well supplied, but still the most considerable one in the vicinity of Rio Janeiro. We then returned to the hig-h road, and in half an hour reached a little elevated plain, whence the eye ranged over a valley of the most remarkable descrip- tion, one portion of it being- in a state of wild chaotic confusion, and the other resembling a blooming- g;arden. In the former were strewed masses of broken g-Vanite, from which, in some places, larger blocks reared their heads, like so many Colossi ; while in others large frag- ments of rocks lay towering- one above the other ; in the second portion stood the finest trees in the midst of luxuriant pastures. This romantic valley is enclosed on three sides by noble mountains, the fourth being- open, and disclosing- a full view of the sea. In this valley we found a small venda, where we recruited our- selves with bread and wine, and then continued our excursion to the so-called " Great Waterfall," with which we were less astonished than we had been with the smaller one. A very shallow sheet of water flowed down over a broad but now : se precipitous ledge of rock into the valley beneath. After making our way through the valley, we came to the Porto Massalu, where a number of trunks of trees, 'hollowed out and lying- before the few huts situated in the bay, apprized us that the inha- bitants were fishermen. \Ve hired one of these beautiful conveyances- to carry us across the little bay. The passage did not take more than a quarter of an hour at the most, and for this, as strang-ers, we were compelled to pay two thousand reis (4s.). We had now at one moment to wade through plains of sand, and the next to clamber over the rocks by wretched paths. In this laborious fashion we proceeded for at least twelve miles, until we 30 A WOMAN'S JOTJENEY BOUND THE WOBI/D. reached the summit of the mountain, which rises like the party-wall of two mighty valleys. This peak is justly called the Boa Vista. The view extends over both valleys, with the mountain ranges and rows of hills which intersect them, and embraces, among other high mountains, the Corcovado and the " Two Brothers ;" and, in the dis- tance, the capital, with the surrounding 1 country-houses and villages, the various bays and the open sea. Unwillingly did we leave this beautiful position ; but being un- acquainted with the distance we should have to go before reaching some hospitable roof, we were obliged to hasten on ; besides which, negroes are the only persons met with on these lonely roads, and a rencontre with any of them by night is a thing not at all to be desired. We descended, therefore, into the valley, and resolved to sleep at the first inn we came to. More fortunate than most people in such cases, we not only found an excellent hotel, with clean rooms and good furniture, but fell in with company which amused us in the highest degree. It consisted of a mulatto family, and attracted all my attention. The wife, a tolerably stout beauty of about thirty, was dressed out in a fashion which, in my own country, no one, save a lady of an exceedingly vulgar taste, would ever think of adopting all the valuables she possessed in the world, she had got about her. Wherever it was possible to stick anything of gold or silver, there it was sure to be. A gown of heavy silk and a real cashmere enveloped her dark brown body, and a charming little white silk bonnet looked very comical placed upon her great heavy head. The husband and five children were worthy of their respective wife and mother ; and, in fact, this excess of dress extended even to the nurse, a real unadulterated negress, who was also overloaded with ornaments. On one arm she had five and on the other six bracelets of stones, pearls, and coral, but which, as far as I could judge, did not strike me as being particu- larly genuine. When the family rose to depart, two landaus, each with four horses, drove up to the door, and man and wife, children and nurse, all stepped in with the same majestic gravity. As I was still looking after the carriages, which were rolling rapidly towards the town, I saw some one on horseback nodding to me : it was my friend Herr Geiger. On hearing 1 that we intended to remain for the night where we were, he persuaded us to accompany him to the estate of his father-in-law, which was situated close at hand. In the latter gentleman, we made the acquaintance of a most worthy and cheerful old man of seventy years of age, who, at that period, was Directing Architect and Superintendent of the Fine Arts under Government. We admired his beautiful garden and charming residence, built, with great good taste, in the Italian style. Early on the following morning, I accompanied Count Berchthold to the Botanical Gardens. Our curiosity to visit these gardens was very great : we hoped to see there magnificent specimens of trees and flowers from all parts of the world but we were rather disappointed. The gardens have been founded too recently, and none of the large trees have yet attained their full growth ; there is no very great selec- EXCURSION TO THE COECOVADO MOUNTAINS. 31 tion of flowers or plants ; and to the few that are there, not even tickets are affixed, to acquaint the visitor with their names. The most interesting objects for us, were the monkeys' bread-tree, with its gourds weighing 1 ten or twenty-five pounds, and containing a number of kernels, which are eaten, not only by monkeys, but also by men the clove, camphor, and cocoa-tree, the cinnamon and tea-bush, &c. We also saw a very peculiar kind of palm-tree : the lower portion of the trunk, to the height of two or three feet, was brown and smooth, and shaped like a large tub or vat ; the stems that sprang from this were light green, and like the lower part, very smooth, and at the same time shining, as if varnished ; they were not very high, and the crest of leaves, as is the case with other palms, only unfolded itself at the top of the tree. Unfortunately, we, were unable to learn the names of this kind of palm ; and in the whole course of my voyage, I never met with another specimen. We did not leave the gardens before noon : we then proceeded on foot four miles as far as Batafogo, and thence reached the city by omnibus. Herr Geiger had invited Count Berchthold, Herr Rister (a native of Vienna), and myself to an excursion to the Corcovado mountains ; and accordingly, on the 1st November, at a time when we are often visited by storms and snow, but when the sun is here in his full force, and the sky without a cloud, at an early hour in the morning did we commence our pilgrimage. The splendid aqueduct was our guide as far as the springs from which it derives the water, which point we reached in an hour and a half, having been so eifectually protected by the deep shade of lovely woods, that even the intense heat of the sun, which reached during the day more than 117 (in the sun), scarcely annoyed us. We stopped at the springs ; and on a sign from Herr Geiger, an athletic negro made his appearance, loaded with a large hamper of provisions everything was soon prepared a white cloth was spread out, and the eatables and drinkables placed upon it. Our meal was seasoned with jokes and good humour ; and when we started afresh on our journey, we felt revived both in body and mind. The last cone of the mountain gave us some trouble : the route was very precipitous, and lay over bare, hot masses of rock. But when we did reach the top, we were more than repaid by seeing spread before us such a panorama, as most assuredly is very seldom to be met with in the world. All that I had remarked on my entrance into the port, lay there before me, only more clearly defined and more extended, with innumerable additional objects. We could see the whole town, all the lower hills, which half hid it from my view on my arrival, the large bay, reaching as far as the Oregon mountain; and, on the other side, the romantic valley, containing the Botanical Gardens, and a number of beautiful country-houses. I recommend every one who comes to Rio Janeiro, although it be only for a few days, to make this excursion, since from this spot he can, with one glance, perceive all the treasures which Nature, with so truly liberal a hand, has lavished upon the environs of this city. He will here see virgin forests, which, if not quite as thick and beautiful 32 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. as those farther inland, are still remarkable for their luxuriant vege- tation. Mimosce and Aarren bliume of a gigantic size, palms, wild coffee-trees, orchideen, parasites and creepers, blossoms and flowers, without end ; birds of the most brilliant plumage, immense butter- flies, and sparkling insects, flying in swarms from blossom to blossom, from branch to branch. A most wonderful effect also is produced by the millions of fire-flies, which find their way into the very tops of the trees, and sparkle between the foliage like so many brightly twinkling stars. I had been informed that the ascent of this mountain was attended with great difficulty. I did not, however, find this to be the case, since the summit may be reached with the greatest ease in three hours and three-quarters, while three parts of the way can also be performed on horseback. The regular residence of the imperial family may be said to be the Palace of Christovao, about half an hour's walk from the town. It is there that the emperor spends most of the year, and there also all political councils are held, and state business transacted. The palace is small, and is distinguished neither for taste nor architectural beauty : its sole charm is its situation. It is placed upon a hill, and commands a view of the Organ mountain, and one of the bays. The palace garden itself is small, and is laid out in ter- races right down into the valley below : a larger garden, that serves as a nursery for plants and trees, joins it. Both these gardens are highly interesting for Europeans, since they contain a great number of plants, which either do not exist at all in Europe, or are only known from dwarf specimens in hot-houses. Herr Eeidl, who lias the management of both gardens, was kind enough to conduct us over them himself, and to draw my attention more especially to the tea and bamboo plantations. Ponte de Cascher (four miles from the town) is another imperial garden. There are three mango-trees here, which are very remark- able, from their age and size. Their branches describe a circle of more than eighty feet in circumference, but they no longer bear fruit. Among the most agreeable walks in the immediate vicinity of the town, I may mention the Telegraph mountain, the public garden {Jardin publico), the Praya do "Flamingo, and the Cloisters of St. Gloria and St. Theresa, &c. I had heard so much in Rio Janeiro of the rapid rise of Petropolis, a colony founded by Germans in the neighbourhood of Ilio Janeiro, of the beauty of the country where it was situated, and of the virgin forests through which a part of the road ran tluit I could not resist the temptation of making an excursion thither. My travelling com- panion, Count Berchthold, accompanied me; and, on the 26th Sep- tember, we took two places on board one of the numerous barks which sail regularly every day for the Porto d'Estrella (a distance of twenty or twenty-two nautical miles), from which place the journey is continued by land. We sailed through a bay remarkable for its extremely picturesque views, and which often reminded me vividly of the peculiar character of the lakes in Sweden. It is surrounded by ranges of lovely hills, and is dotted over with small islands, both POETO D ESTEELLA. 33 separate and in groups, some of which are so completely overgrown with palms, as well as other trees and shrubs, that it seems impossible to land upon them, while others either rear their solitary heads like huge rocks from the waves, or are loosely piled one upon the other. The round form of many of the latter is especially remarkable : they almost seem to have been cut out with a chisel. Our bark was manned by four negroes and a white skipper. At first we ran before the wind with full sails, and the crew too];: advan- tage of this favourable opportunity to make a meal, consisting 1 of a considerable quantity of flour of manioc, boiled fish, roasted mil (Turkish corn), oranges, cocoa-nuts, and other nuts of a smaller description ; indeed, there was even white bread, which for blacks is a luxury ; and I was greatly delighted to see them so well taken care of. In two hours the wind left us, and the crew were obliged to take to the oars, the manner of using which struck me as very fatiguing. At each dip of the oar into the water, the rowei 1 mounts upon n bench before him, and then, during the stroke, throws himself off again with his full force. In two hours mor3, we left. the sea, and, taking a left-hand direction, entered the river Geromerim, at the mouth of which is an inn, where we stopped halt' an hour, and where I saw a remarkable kind of light-house, consisting of a lantern affixed to a rock. The beauty of the country is now at an end that is, in tho eyes of the vulgar : a botanist would, at this point, find it more than usually wonderful and magnificent; for the most beautiful aquatic plants, especially the jN"ymphia, the PonteJera, and the Cyprian grass, are spread out, both in the water and all round it. The two former t \vine- themselves to the very top of the nearest sapling, and the Cyprian grass attains a height of from six to eight feet. "The banks of the river are flat, and fringed with underwood and young trees ; the background is formed by ranges of hills. The little houses, which are visible now and then, are built of stone, and covered with tiles, yet, nevertheless, they present a tolerably poverty-stricken appearance. After sailing up the river for seven hours, we reached, without accident, Porto d'Estrella, a place of some importance, since it is the emporium for all the merchandise which is sent from the interior, and then conveyed by water to the capita]. There are two good inns ; and, Ix'sides these, a large building (similar to a Turkish Khan) and an immense tiled roof, supported on strong stone pillars. The first was appropriated to the merchandise, and the second to the donkey drivers, who had arranged themselves very comfortably eath it, and wore preparing their evening meal over various fires that were blazing away very cheerfully. Although fully admitting the charms of such quarters for the night, we preferred retiring to the Star Inn, where cleau rooms and beds, and skilfully spiced dishes, possessed more attraction for us. ~7th September. From Porto d'Estrella to Petropolis, the distance is seven leagues. This portion of the journey is generally performed upon mules, the charge for which is four milreis (8.?. Sd.) oarh, but as we had been told in Ilio Janeiro that the road afforded a beautiful walk, parts of it traversing splendid woods, and that it was besides much frequented, aud perfectly safe, being the great 34 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. means of communication, with Minas Gueras, we determined to go on foot, and that the more willingly, as the Count wished to botanize, and I to collect insects. The first eight miles lay through a broad valley, covered with thick brambles and young trees, and surrounded with lofty mountains. The wild pine-apples at the side of the road presented a most beautiful appearance ; they were not quite ripe, and were tinged with the most delicate red. Unfor- tunately, they are far from being as agreeable to the taste as they are to the sight, and consequently are very seldom gathered. I was greatly amused with the humming-birds, of which I saw a con- siderable number of the smallest species. Nothing can be more graceful and delicate than these little creatures. They obtain their food from the calyx of the flowers, round which they flutter like butterflies, and indeed are very often mistaken for them in their rapid flight. It is very seldom that they are seen on a branch or twig in a state of repose. After passing through the valley, we reached the Serra, as the Brazilians term the summit of each moun- tain that they cross ; the present one was 3,000 feet high. A broad paved road, traversing virgin forests, runs up the side of the mountain. I had always imagined that in virgin forests the trees had un- commonly thick and lofty trunks : I found that this was not here the case. The vegetation is probably too luxuriant, and the larger trunks are suffocated and rot beneath the masses of smaller trees, bushes, creepers, and parasites. The two latter descriptions of plants are so abundant, and cover so completely the trees, that it is often im- possible to see even the leaves, much less the stems and branches. Herr Schleierer, a botanist, assured us that he once found upon one tree six-and-thirty different kinds of creepers and parasites. We gathered a rich harvest of flowers, plants, and insects, and loitered along, enchanted with the magnificent woods and not less beautiful views, which stretched over hill and dale, towards the sea and its bays, and even as far as the capital itself. Frequent truppas,* driven by negroes, as well as the number of pedestrians we met, eased our minds of every fear, and prevented us from regarding it as at all remarkable that we were being continually followed by a negro. As, however, we arrived at a somewhat lonely spot, he sprang suddenly forward, holding in one hand a long knife and in the other a lasso,t rushed upon us, and gave us to understand, more by gestures than words, that he intended to murder, and then drag us into the forest. We had no arms, as we had been told that the road was perfectly safe, and the only weapons of defence we possessed were our para- sols, if I except a clasped knife, which I instantly drew out of my pocket and opened, fully determined to sell my life as dearly as pos- sible. We parried our adversary's blows as long as we could with our parasols, but these lasted but a short time ; besides, he caught hold of mine, which, as we were struggling for it, broke short off, Truppa is a term used to designate ten mules driven by a negro; in most instances a number of truppas are joined together, and often make up teams or caravans ot 100 or 200 mules. Everything in the Brazils is conveyed upon mules. t A cord, with a noose at the end; the native inhabitants of South America use it so skilfully that they catch the most savage animals with it. ATTEMPT AT MURDER BY A MAROON NEGRO. 35 leaving only a piece of the handle in my hand. In the struggle, however, he dropped his knife, which rolled a few steps from him ; I instantly made a dash, and thought I had got it, when he, more quick than I, thrust me away with his feet and hands, and once more obtained possession of it. He waved it furiously over my head, and dealt me two wounds, a thrust and a deep gash, both in the tipper part of the left arm ; I thought I was lost, and despair alone gave me the courage to use my own knife. I made a thrust at his breast; this he warded off, and I only succeeded in wounding* him severely in the hand. The Count sprang forward, and seized the fellow from behind, and thus afforded me an opportunity of raising myself from the ground. The whole affair had not taken more than a few seconds. The negro's fury was now roused to its highest pitch by the wounds he had'received : he gnashed his teeth at us like a wild beast, and flourished his knife with frightful rapidity. The Count, in his turn, had received a cut right across the hand, and we had been irrevocably lost, had not Providence sent us assistance. We heard the tramp of horses' hoofs upon the road, upon which the negro instantly left us, and sprang into the wood. Immediately afterwards two horsemen turned a corner of the road, and we hurried towards them ; our wounds, which were bleeding freely, and the way in which our para- sols were hacked, soon made them understand the state of affairs. They asked us which direction the fugitive had taken, and, springing from their horses, hurried after him ; their efforts, however, would have been fruitless, if two negroes, who were coming from the oppo- site side, had not helped them. As it was, the fellow was soon cap- tured. He was pinioned, and, as he would not walk, severely beaten, most of the blows being dealt upon the head, so that I feared. the poor wretch's skull would be broken. In spite of this he never moved a muscle, and lay, as if insensible to feeling, upon the ground. The two other negroes were obliged to seize hold of him, when he endeavoured to bite every one within his reach, like a wild beast, and carry him to the nearest house. Our preservers, as well as the Count and myself, accompanied them. We then had our wounds dressed, and afterwards continued our journey ; not, it is true, entirely devoid of fear, especially when we met one or more negroes, but without any further mishap, and with a continually increasing admiration of tlie beautiful scenery. The colony of Petropolis is situated in the midst of a virgin forest, at an elevation of 0,500 feet above the level of the sea, and, at the time of our visit, it had been founded about fourteen months, with the especial purpose of furnishing the capital with certain kinds of fruit and vegetables, which, in tropical climates, will thrive only in very high situations. A small row of houses already formed a street, and on a large space that had been cleared away stood the wooden carcase of a larger building the Imperial Villa which, however, would have some difficulty "in presenting anything like an imperial appearance, on account of the low doors that contrasted strangely with the broad, lofty windows. The town is to be built around the villa, though several detached houses are situated at some distance away in the woods. One portion of the colonists, such as mechanics, shop- p 36 A WOMAN'S J 017113 BY ROUA'D THE WOULD. keepers, &c., had been presented with small plots of ground for building upon, near the villa ; the cultivators of the soil had received larger patches, although not more than two or three yokes. What misery must not these poor people have suffered in their native country, to have sought another hemisphere for the sake of a few yokes of land ! We here found the good old woman who had been our fellow- passenger from Germany to Bio Janeiro, in company with her son. Her joy at being once more able to share' in the toils and labours of her favourite had, in this short space of time, made her several years younger. Her son acted as our guide, and conducted us over the infant colony, which is situated in broad ravines ; the surrounding hills are so steep, that, when they are cleared of timber and converted into gardens, the soft earth is easily washed away by heavy showers. At a distance of four miles from the colony, a waterfall foams down a chasm which it has worn away for itself. It is more remarkable for its valley-like enclosure of noble mountains, and the solemn gloom of the surrounding woods, than for its height or body of water. 29th September. In spite of the danger we had incurred in coming*, we returned to Porto d'Estrella on foot, went on board a bark, sailed all night, and arrived safely in Eio Janeiro the next morning. Every one, both in Petropolis and the capital, was so astonished at the manner in which our lives had been attempted^ that, if we had not been able to show our wounds, we should never have been believed. The fellow was at first thought to have been drunk or insane, and it was not till later that we learned the real motives of ^his conduct. He had some time previously been punished by his master for an oifence, and, on meeting us in the wood, he, no doubt, thought that it was a good opportunity of satisfying, with impunity, his hatred against the whites. CHAPTER IV. JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR OP THE BRAZILS. THE TOWNS OF MORROQUEIMADO (Novo FRIBURGO) AND ALDEA DO PEDRO PLANTA- TIONS OF THE EUROPEANS BURNING FORESTS VIRGIN FORESTS LAST SETTLE- MENT OF THE WHITES VISIT TO THE INDIANS, ALSO CALLED PURIS OR RABOCLES RETURN TO Rio JANEIRO. THIS second journey I also made in company of Count Berchthold, after having 1 resolved on penetrating into the interior of the country, and paying- a visit to the primitive inhabitants of the Brazils. 2nd October. We left llio Janeiro in the morning-, and pro- ceeded in a steamer as far as the port of Sampajo, a distance of twenty-eig'lit miles. This port lies at the mouth of the river Mac- cacu, but consists of only one inn and two or three small houses. We here hired mules to take us to the town of Morroqueimado, eighty miles off. I may take this opportunity of remarking 1 that it is the custom in the Brazils to hire the mules without muleteers a great mark of confidence on the part of the owners towards travellers. Arrived at their destination the animals are delivered up at a certain place fixed on by the proprietor. We preferred, however, to take a muleteer with us, as we were not acquainted with the road, a piece of precaution we regretted the less, on finding the way frequently obstructed with wooden gates, which had always to be opened and shut again. The price for hiring a mule was twelve milreis (1 tis.). As we arrived at Porto Sampajo by 2 o'clock, we resolved on going- on as far as Ponte do Pinheiro, a distance of sixteen miles. The road lay mostly through valleys covered with large bushes and surrounded by low rocks. The country wore a general aspect of wildness, and only here and there were a few scanty pasture-grounds and poverty-stricken huts to be seen. The little town of Ponte de Cairas, which we passed, consists of a few shops and vendas, a number of smaller houses, an inconsiderable church, and an apothecary's; the principal square looked like a meadow. Ponte do Pinheiro is rather larg-er. We experienced here a very good reception, and had an excellent supper, consisting of fowls stewed in rice, flour of manioc, and Portugeese wine ; we had also good beds and breakfasts ; the whole cost us ; however ; four milreis (85. Sd.). 3rd October. We did not set off till 7 o'clock : here, as every- where else in the country, there is no getting away early in the morning. The scenery was of the same character as that passed the day before, except that we were approaching the more lofty mountains. The road was tolerably good, but the bridges across the streams D2 38 and sloughs execrable ; we esteemed ourselves fortunate whenever we passed one without being- compelled to stop. After a ride of three hours (nine miles), \ve reached the great Sugar-Fazenda* de Collegio, which in its arrangements is exactly like a large country seat. To the spacious residence is attached a chapel, with the offices- lying all around ; the whole is enclosed by a high wall. Far and wide stretched the fields and low eminences, covered with sugar canes : unfortunately, we could not see the mode of pre- paring the sugar, as the canes were not yet ripe. A planter's fortune in the Brazils is calculated by the number o his slaves. There were eight hundred of them on the plantation we- were viewing a large property, since each male slave costs from six to seven hundred milreis (60 to 70). Not far from this fazenda, to the right of the high road, lies, another very considerable one, called Papagais ; besides these we saw several smaller plantations, which lent a little animation to the uni- formity of the scene. St. Anna (sixteen miles distance) is a small place, consisting of only a few poor houses, a little church, and an apothecary's ; the last is a necessary appendage to every Brazilian village, even though it only contains twelve orlifteen huts. We here made a repast of eggs with a bottle of wine, and gave our mules a feed of mil, for which a cheating landlord, Herr Gebhart, charged us three milreis (6s. 6d.). To-day we did not proceed further than Mendoza (twelve miles) r a still more insignificant place than St. Anna. A small shop and a venda were the only houses at the road-side, though in the back- ground we perceived a manioc-fazenda, to which we paid a visit. The proprietor was kind enough first to offer us some strong coffee,, without milk (a customary mark of attention in the Brazils), and then to conduct us over his plantation. The manioc plant shoots out stalks from four to six feet in height, with a number of large leaves at their upper extremities. The valuable portion of the plant is its bulbous root, which often weighs two or three pounds, and supplies the place of corn all through the Brazils.. It is washed, peeled, and held against the rough edge of a millstone, turned by a negro, until it is completely ground away. The whole mass is then gathered into a basket, plentifully steeped in water, and is afterwards pressed quite dry by means of a press. Lastly it is scattered upon large iron plates, and slowly dried by a gentle fire^ kept up beneath. It now resembles a very coarse kind of flour, and is eaten in two ways wet and dry. In the first case, it is mixed with hot water until it forms a kind of porridge; in the second, it is handed round, under the form of coarse flour, in little baskets, and every one at table takes as much as he chooses, and sprinkles it over his plate. 4th October. The mountain ranges continue drawing nearer and nearer to each other, and the woods become thicker and more luxu- riant. The various creeping plants are indescribably beautiful : not only do they entirely cover the ground, but they are so intertwined * Fazenda is equivalent to our word "plantation," NOVO FEIBUEGO, OE MOEBOQUEIHADO. 39 with the trees that their lovely flowers hang 1 on the highest branches, and look like the blossoms of the trees themselves. ** But there are likewise trees whose own yellow and red blossoms resemble the most beautiful flowers ; while there are others whose great white leaves .stiind out like silver from the surrounding mass of flowery green. Woods like these might well be called " the giant gardens of the world." The palm-trees have here almost disappeared. We soon reached the mountain range we hud to cross, and on our way often ascended such elevated spots that we had a free view extending as far back as the capital. On the top of the mountain (Alta da Serra, sixteen miles from Mendoza) we found a venda. From this spot the distance to Morroqueimado is sixteen miles, which took us a long t f ime, as the road is either up or down hill the whole way. We were continually surrounded by the most mag'nificent woodlands, and were only rarely reminded by a small plantation of Jtabi* or mil, that we were in the neighbourhood of men. We did- not perceive the little town until we had surmounted the last emi- nence and were in its immediate vicinity. It lies in a large and picturesque hollow, surrounded by mountains at an elevation of 3/200 feet above the level of the sea. As night was near at hand, we were g'lad enough to reach our lodgings, which were situated on one side of the town, in the house of a German named Linderoth ; they were very comfortable, and, as we afterwards found, exceedingly reason- able, seeing that for our rooms and three good meals a-day we only paid one milrei (2s. 2d.). 5th October. The small town of Novo Friburgo, or Morroquei- mado, was founded about fifteen years since by French, Swiss, and Germans. It contains not quite a hundred substantial houses, the .greater part of which form an extremely broad street, while the others lie scattered about, here and there. We had already heard, in Ilio Janeiro, a great deal of the Messrs. Beske and Freese, and been particularly recommended not to forget to pay a visit to each. Herr Beske is a naturalist, and resides here with his wife, who is almost as scientific as himself. We enjoyed jnany an hour in their entertaining society, and were shown many interesting' collections of quadrupeds, birds, serpents, insects, &c. ; the collection of these last, indeed, was more rich and remarkable .than that in the Museum of Ilio Janeiro. Herr Beske has always a great many orders from Europe to send over various objects of natural .history. Jlerr Freese is the director and proprietor of an establish- ment for boys, and preferred establishing his school in this cool -climate than in the hot town beneath. He was kind enough to show us all liia arrangements. As it was near evening when we paid -our visit, school was already over ; but he presented all his scholars to us, made them perform a few gymnastic exercises, and proposed .several questions on geography, history, arithmetic, &c., which, with- out exception, they answered very carefully and correctly. His establishment receives sixty boys, and was quite full, although the .annual charge for each boy is one thousand milreis (108 6s. Sd.). * KaM is African prass, which is plnntr/d all over the Brazils, as grass never grows there of its own accord. It is very hi-li and reed-like. 40 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. 6th October. "We had at first intended to stop only one day in Fo Friburgo, and then continue our journey. Unfortunately, however, the wound which the Count had received on our excursion to Petropolis became, through the frequent use of the hand and the excessive heat, much worse ; inflammation set in, and he was conse- quently obliged to give up all ideas of going any further. With my wounds I was more fortunate, for, as they were on the upper part of the arm, I had been enabled to pay them a proper degree of care and attention ; they were now proceeding very favourably, and neither dangerous nor troublesome. I had, therefore, no resource left but either to pursue my journey alone, or to give up the most interesting portion of it, namely, my visit to the Indians. To this last idea I could by no means reconcile myself ; I inquired, therefore, whether the journey could be made with any degree of safety, and as I re- ceived a sort of half-satisfactory answer, and Herr Lindenroth found me also a trusty guide, I procured a good double-barrelled pistol, and set out undaunted upon my trip. We at first remained for some time in the midst of mountain ranges, and then again descended into the warmer region beneath. The valleys were generally narrow, and the uniform appearance of the woods was often broken by plantations. The latter, however, did not always look very promising, most of them being so choked up with weeds that it was frequently impossible to perceive the plant itself, especiallv when it was young and small. It is only upon the sugar and coffee plantations that any great care is bestowed. The coffee-trees stand in rows upon tolerably steep hillocks. They attain a height of from six to twelve feet, and begin to bear sometimes as soon as the second, but in no case later than the third year, and are productive for ten years. The leaf is long" and slightly serrated, the blossom white, while the fruit hangs down in the same manner as a bunch of grapes, and resembles a longish cherry, which is first green, then red, brown, and nearly black. During the time it is red, the outer shell is soft, but ultimately becomes perfectly hard, and resembles a wooden capsule. Blossoms and fruit in full maturity are found upon the trees at the same time, and hence the harvest lasts nearly the whole year. The latter is conducted in two ways. The berries are either gathered by hand, or large straw mats are spread underneath, and the trees well shaken. The first method is the more troublesome, but, without comparison, the better one. Another novelty, which I saw here for the first time, were the frequent burning forests, which had been set on fire to clear the ground for cultivation. In most cases I merely saw immense clouds of smoke curling upwards in the distance, and desired nothing more earnestly than to enjoy a nearer view of such a conflagration. My wish was destined to be fulfilled to-day, as my road lay between a burning forest and a burning 1 rost* The intervening space was not, at the most, more than fifty paces broad, and was completely enveloped in smoke. I could hear the crackling' of the fire, and through the dense vapour perceive thick, forked columns of flame shoot * Rost (roster) is employed to denote parlly a strip of low brushwood, partly the place where a wood has stood previously to being burnt. BURNING FORESTS. 41 upwards towards the sky, while now and then loud reports, like those of a cannon, announced the fall of the large trees. On seeing' my guide enter this fiery gulf, I was, I must confess, rather frightened ; but I felt assured, on reflecting, that he would certainly not "foolishly risk his own life, and that he must know from experience that such places were passable. At the entrance sat two negroes, to point out the direction that wayfarers had to follow, and to recommend them to make as much haste as possible. My guide translated for me what they said, and spurred on his mule ; I followed his- example, and we both galloped at full speed into the smoking pass. The burning ashes now flew around us in all directions, while the suffocating smoke was even more oppressive than the heat ; our beasts, too, seemed to have great difficulty in drawing breath, and it was as much as we could do to keep them in a gallop. Fortunately we had not above 500 or 600 paces to ride, and consequently succeeded in making our way safely through. In the Brazils a conflagration of this kind never extends very far, as the vegetation is too green and offers too much opposition. The wood has to be ignited in several places, and even then the fire fre- quently goes out, and, when most of the wood is burnt, many patches are found unconsumed. Soon after passing this dangerous spot, we came to a magnificent rock, the sides of which must have risen almost perpendicularly to a height of 600 or 800 feet. A number of lied fragments lay scattered about the road, forming picturesque groups. To my great astonishment, I learned from my guide that our lodging for the ni^'lit was near at hand ; we had scarcely ridden twenty miles, but he affirmed that the next veuda where we could stop was too far distant. I afterwards discovered that his sole object was to spin out the journey, which was a very profitable one for him, since, besides good living for himself, and fodder for his two mules, he received four milreis (8.v. He/.) a-day. We put up, therefore, at a solitary venda, erected in the middle of the forest, and kept by Herr Molasz. During the day w r e had suffered greatly from the heat ; the ther- mometer standing, in the sun, at 119 75' Fah. The circumstance which must strike a traveller most forcibly, in the habits of the colonists and inhabitants of the Brazils, is the con- trast between fear and courage. On the one hand, every one you meet upon the road is nrmcd with pistols and long- knives, as if the whole country were overrun with robbers and murderers ; while, on the other, the proprietors live quite alone on their plantations, and without the least apprehension, in the midst of their numerous slaves. The traveller, too, fearlessly passes the night in some venda, situated in impenetrable woods, with neither shutters to the windows nor g"ood locks to the doors, besides which, the owner's room is a consi- derable distance from the chambers of the guests, and it would be utterly impossible to obtain any assistance from the servants, who are all slaves, as they live either in some corner of the stable, or in the loft. At first I felt very frightened at thus passing the night alone, sur- rounded by the wild gloom of the forest, and in a room that was only 42 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUXD THE very insecurely fastened; but, as I was everywhere nssuredthat such a thing- as a forcible entry into a house had never been heard of, I soon dismissed my superfluous anxiety, and enjoyed the most tran- quil repose. I know very few countries in Europe where I should like to traverse vast forests, and pass the night in such awfully lonely houses, accompanied by only a hired guide. On the 7th of October, also, we made only a short day's journey of twenty miles, to the small town of Canto Gallo. The scenery was of the usual description, consisting- of narrow, circumscribed valleys and mountains covered with endless forests. If little fazendas, and the remains of woods which had been set on fire, had not, every now and then, reminded us of the hand of man, I should have thought that I was wandering through some yet undiscovered part of Brazil. The monotony of our journey was rather romantically interrupted by our straying- for a short distance from the right road. In order to reach it again, we were obliged to penetrate, by untrodden paths, through the woods ; a task presenting difficulties of which a Euro- pean can scarcely form an idea. We dismounted from our mules, and my guide threw back, on either side, the low-hanging branches, and cut through the thick web of creepers ; while, one moment, we were obliged to climb over broken trunks, or squeeze ourselves between others, at the next we sank knee-deep among endless para- sitical plants. I began almost to despair of ever effecting a passage, and, even up to the present day, am at a loss to understand how we succeeded in escaping from this inextricable mass. The little town of Canto Gallo is situated in a narrow valley, and contains about eighty houses. The venda stands apart, the town not being visible from it. The temperature here is as warm as in Eio Janeiro. On my return to the venda, after a short walk to the town, I applied to my landlady, in order to obtain a near and really correct idea of a Brazilian household. The good woman, however, gave her- self very little trouble, either in looking- after the house or the kitchen ; as is the case in Italy, this was her husband's business. A negress and two young negroes cooked, the arrangements of the kitchen being of the most primitive simplicity. The salt was pressed fine with a bottle; the potatoes, when boiled, underwent the same pro- cess the latter were also subsequently squeezed in the frying-pan with a plate, to give them the form of a pancake; a pointed piece of wood served for a fork, &c. There was a large fire burning for every dish. Every one whose complexion was white sat down with us at table. All the dishes, consisting of cold roast beef, black beans with boiled carna secca,* potatoes, rice, manioc flour, and boiled manioc roots, were placed upon the table at the same time, and every one helped himself as he pleased. At the conclusion of our meal, we had * All through Brazil, caiiia sccca is one of the principal articles of food, both for white- ami blacks. It comes from Buenos Ayres, and consists of beef cut into long, thin, broad strips, salted and dried in the open air. VIRGIN FOEESTS. 43 strong- coffee without milk. The slaves had beans, carna secca, and manioc flour. 8th October. Our goal to-day was the Fazenda Boa Esperanza, twenty-four miles off. Four miles beyond Canto Gallo, we crossed a small waterfall, and then entered one of the most magnificent virgin forests I had yet beheld. A small path on the bank of a little brook conducted us through it. Palms, with their majestic tops, raised themselves proudly above the other trees, which, lovingly interlaced together, formed the most beautiful bowers ; orchids grew in wan- ton luxuriance upon the branches and twigs: creepers and ferns climbed up the trees, mingling with the boughs, and forming thick walls of blossoms and flowers, which displayed the most brilliant colours, and exhaled the sweetest perfume ; delicate humming-birds twittered around our heads ; the pepper-pecker, with his brilliant plumage, soared shily upwards ; parrots and parroquets were swing- ing themselves in the branches, and numberless beautifully marked birds, which I only knew from having seen specimens in the Museum, inhabited this fairy grove. It seemed as if I was riding in some fairy park, and I expected, every moment, to see sylphs and nymphs appear before me. I was so happy, that I felt richly recompensed for all the fatigue of my journey. One thought only obscured the beautiful picture ; and that was, that weak man should dare to enter the lists with the giant nature of the place, and make it bend before his will. How soon, perhaps, may this profound and holy tranquillity be disturbed by the blows of some daring settler's axe, to make room for the wants of men ! I saw no dangerous animals save a few dark green snakes, from five to seven feet long ; a dead ounce, that had been stripped of its skin ; and a lizard, three feet in length, which ran timidly across our path. I met with no apes ; they appear to conceal themselves deeper in the woods, where no human footstep is likely to disturb them in their sports and gambols. During the whole distance from Canto Gallo to the small village of St. Ilitta (sixteen miles), if it had not again been for a few coffee plantations, I should have thought the place completely forgotten by man. Near St. Ilitta are some gold-washings in the river of the same name, and not far from them "diamonds also are found. Since seek- ing or digging for diamonds is no longer an imperial monopoly, every one is at liberty to employ himself in this occupation, and yet it is exercised as much as possible in secret. No one will acknow- ledge looking for them, in order to avoid paying the State its share as fixed by law. The precious stones are sought for and dug out at certain spots, from heaps of sand, stones, and soil, which have been washed down by the heavy rains. I had found lodgings in a venda for the last time, the preceding evening, at Canto Gallo. I had now to rely upon the hospitality of the proprietors of the fazenclas. Custom requires that, on reaching a fazenda, any person who desires to stop the middle of the day or the night there should wait outside and ask ; through the servant, per- 44 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. mission to do so. It is not until his application is granted, which is almost always the case, that the traveller dismounts from his mule, and enters the building. They received me at the Fazenda of Boa Esperanza in the most friendly manner, and, as I happened to arrive exactly at dinner-time (it was between 3 and 4 o'clock), covers were immediately laid for me and my attendant. The dishes were numerous, and prepared very nearly in the European fashion. Great astonishment was manifested in every venda and fazenda at seeing a lady arrive accompanied only by a single servant. The first question was, whether I was not afraid thus to traverse the woods alone ; and my guide was invariably taken on one side, and questioned as to why 1 travelled. As he was in the habit of seeing me collect flowers and insects, he supposed me to be a naturalist, and replied that my journey had a scientific object. After dinner, the amiable lady of the house proposed that I should go and see the coffee-plantations, warehouses, &c. ; and I willingly accepted her offer, as affording me an opportunity of viewing the manner in which the coffee was prepared from beginning to end. The mode of gathering it I have already described. When this is done, the coffee is spread out upon large plots of ground, trodden down in a peculiar manner, and enclosed by low stone walls, scarcely a foot high, with little drain-holes in them, to allow of the water running off in case of rain. On these places the coffee is dried by the glowing heat of the sun, and then shaken in large stone mortars, ten or twenty of which are placed beneath a wooden scaffolding, from which wooden hammers, set in motion by water power, descend into the mortars, and easily crush the husks. The mass, thus crushed, is then placed in wooden boxes, fastened in the middle of a long table, and having small openings at each side, through which both the berry itself and the husk fall slowly out. At the table are seated negroes, who separate the berry from the husk, and then cast it into shallow copper cauldrons, which are easily heated. In these it is carefully turned, and remains until it is quite dried. This last pro- cess requires some degree of care, as the colour of the coffee depends upon the degree of heat to which it is exposed; if dried too quickly, instead of the usual greenish colour, it contracts a yellowish tinge. On the whole, the preparation of coffee is not fatiguing 1 , and even the gathering of it is far from being as laborious as reaping is with us. The negro stands in an upright posture, when gathering' the berry, and is protected by the tree itself against the great heat of the sun. The only danger he incurs is of being bitten by some venomous snake or other an accident, however, which, fortunately, rarely happens. Th work on a sugar-plantation, on the contrary, is said to be exceedingly laborious, particularly that portion of it which relates to weeding the ground and cutting the cane. I have never yet wit- nessed a sugar-harvest, but, perhaps, may do so in the course of my travels. All work ceases at sunset, when the negroes are drawn up in front of their master's house for the purpose of being counted, and FAZEXDAS. 45 then, after a short prayer, have their supper, consisting of boiled beans, bacon, carna secca, and manioc flour, handed out to them. At sunrise, they again assemble, are once more counted, and, after prayers and breakfast, go to work. I had an opportunity of convincing 1 myself in this, as well as in many other fazendas, vendas, and private houses, that the slaves are by far not so harshly treated as we Europeans imagine. They are not overworked, perform all their duties very leisurely, and are well kept. Their children are frequently the playmates of their master's children, and knock each other about as if they were all equal. There may be cases in which certain slaves are cruelly and undeservedly punished ; but do not the like instances of injustice occur in Europe also? I am certainly very much opposed to slavery, and should greet its abolition with the greatest delight, but, despite this, I again affirm that the negro slave enjoys, under the protection of the law, a better lot than the free fellah of Egypt, or many peasants in Europe, who still groan under the right of soccagc. 'The principal reason of the better lot of the slave, compared to that of the miserable peasant, in the case in point, may perhaps partly be, that the pur- chase and keep of the one is expensive, while the other costs nothing. The arrangements in the houses belonging to the proprietors of the fazendas are extremely simple. The windows are unglazed, and are closed at night with wooden shutters. In many instances, the outer roof is the common covering of all the rooms, which are merely separated from one another by low partitions, so that you can hear every word your neighbour says, and almost the breathing of the person sleeping next to you. The furniture is equally simple : a large table, a few straw sofas, and a few chairs. The wearing apparel ^is generally hung up against the walls ; the linen alone being kept in tin cases, to protect if from the attacks of the ants. In the country, the children of even the most opulent persons run about frequently without shoes or stockings. Before they go to bed they have thBir feet examined to see whether any sand-fleas have nestled in them ; and, if such be the case, they are extracted by the elder negro children. 9th October. Early in the morning I took leave of my kind hostess, who, like a truly careful housewife, had wrapped up a roasted fowl, manioc flour, and a cheese for me, so that I was well provi- sioned on setting off. The next station, Aldea do Pedro, on the banks of the Parahyby, was situated at a distance of sixteen miles. Our way lay through magnificent woods, and before we had traversed half of it we arrived at the river Parahyby, one of the largest in the Brazils, and celebrated, moreover, for the peculiar character of its bed, which is strewed with innumerable clitfs and rocks ; these, owing to the low state of the stream, were more than usually conspicuous. On every side rose little islands, covered with small trees or underwood, lending a most magic appearance to the river. During the rainy season, most of those clill's and rocks are covered with water, and the river then appeal's more majestic. On account of the rocks, it can only be navi- gated by small boats and rafts. 46 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. As you proceed along- the banks, the scenery gradually changes. The fore-part of the mountain ranges subside into low hills, the mountains themselves retreat, and the nearer you approach Aldea do Pedro, the wilder and more open becomes the valley. In the back- ground alone are still visible splendid mountain ranges, from which rises a, mountain higher than the rest, somewhat more naked, and almost isolated. To this my guide pointed, and gave me to understand that our way lay over it, in order to reach the Puris, who lived beyond. About noon I arrived at Aldea do Pedro, which I found to be a small village with a stone church ; the latter might, perhaps, contain 200 persons. I had intended continuing- my journey to the Puris the same day, but my guide was attacked with pains in his knee, and could not ride further. I had, therefore, no resource but to alight at the priest's, who gave me a hearty welcome ; he had a pretty good house, immediately adjoining the church. 10th October. As my guide was worse, the priest offered me his negro to replace him. I thankfully accepted his offer, but could not .set off before 1 o'clock, for which I was, in some respects, not sorry, as it was Sunday, and I hoped to see a great number of the country people flock to mass. This, however, was not the case ; although it was a very fine day, there were hardly thirty people at church. The men were dressed exactly in the European fashion ; the women wore long cloaks with collars, and had white handkerchiefs upon their heads, partly falling over their faces as well; the latter they uncovered in church. Eoth men and women were barefooted. As chance would have it, I witnessed a burial and a christening. JBefore mass commenced, a boat crossed over from the opposite bank of the Parahyby, and, on reaching the side, a hammock, in which was the deceased, was lifted out. He was then laid in a coffin which had been prepared for the purpose in a house near the churchyard. The corpse was enveloped in a white cloth, with the feet and half the head protruding beyond it ; the latter was covered with a peaked cap of shining black cloth. The christening took place before the burial. The person who was to be christened was a young negro of fifteen, who stood with his mother at the church door. As the priest entered the church to perform mass, he christened him, in passing by, without much ceremony or solemnity, and evon without sponsors ; the boy, too, seemed to be as little touched by the whole affair as a new-born infant. I do not believe that either he or his mother had the least idea of the importance of the rite. The priest then hurriedly performed mass, and read the burial service over the deceased, who had belonged to rather a wealthy family, and therefore was respectably interred. Unfortunately, when they wanted to lower the corpse into its cold resting-place, the latter was found to be too short and too narrow, and the poor wretch was so tossed about, coffin and all, that I expected every moment to see him roll out. But all was of no avail, and, after a great deal of use- less exertion, no other course was left but to place the coffin on one side and enlarge the grave, which was done with much unwillingness, and amid an unceasing volley of oaths. LAST SETTLEMENT OF THE WHITES. 47 This fatiguing work being at last finished, I returned to the house,, where I took a good dejeuner a la fourchette in company with the priest, and then set out with my black guide. We rode for some time through n broad valley between splendid woods, and had to cross two rivers, the Parahyby and the Pomba, in. trunks of trees hollowed out. For each of these wretched convey- ances I was obliged to pay one milrei (25. 2d.), and to incur great danger into the bargain ; not so much on account of the stream and the small size of the craft, as of our mules, which, fastened by their halter, swam alongside, and frequently came so near that I was afraid that we should be every moment capsized. After riding twelve miles further, we reached the last settlement of the whites.* On an open space, which had with difficulty been conquered from the virgin forest, stood a largish wooden house, surrounded by a few miserable huts, the house serving as the resi- dence of the whites, and the huts as that of the slaves. A letter which I had brought from the priest procured me a welcome. The manner of living in this settlement was of such a description that I was almost tempted to believe that I was already among savages. The large house contained an entrance hall leading into four rooms, each of which was inhabited by a white family. The whole furniture of these rooms consisted of a few hammocks and straw mats. The inhabitants were cowering upon the floor, playing with the children, or assisting one another to get rid of their vermin. The kitchen was immediately adjoining the house, and resembled a very large barn with openings in it ; upon a hearth, that took up nearly the entire length of the barn, several fires were burning, over which hung small kettles, and at each side were fastened wooden spits. On these were fixed several pieces of meat, some of which were being roasted by the fire and some cured by the smoke. The kitchen was full of people : whites, Puris, and negroes, children whose parents were whites and Puris, or Puris and negroes in a word, the place was like a book of specimens containing the most varied ramifi- cations of the three principal races of the country. In the court-yard was an immense number of fowls, beautifully marked ducks and geese ; I also saw some extraordinarily fat pigs, and some horribly ugly dogy. Under some cocoa-palms and tamarind- trees were seated white and coloured people, separate and in groups,, mostly occupied in satisfying their hunger. Some had got broken basins or pumpkin-gourds before them, in which they kneaded up with their hands boiled beans and manioc flour ; this thick and dis- gusting-looking mess they devoured with avidity. Others were eating 1 pieces of meat, which they likewise tore Avith their hands, and threw into their mouths alternately with handfuls of manioc flour. The children, who also had their gourds before them, were obliged to- defend the contents valiantly ; for at one moment a hen would peck something out, and, at the 'next, a dog would run off with a bit, or sometimes even a little pig would waggle up, and invariably give a * Under the term " whites," are included not only those Europeans who have lately immigrated, but also the Portuguese, who have been settled in the country for centuries. 48 A WOMAN'S JOUENEY ROUXD THE WOELD. most contented grunt when it had not performed the journey for nothing. While I was making these observations, I suddenly heard a merry cry outside the court-yard ; I proceeded to the place from which it issued, and saw two boys dragging- towards me a large dark brown serpent, certainly more than seven feet long, at the end of a bast- rope. It was already dead, and, as far as I could learn from the explanations of those about me, it was of so venomous a kind, that if a person is bitten by it, he immediately swells up and dies. I was rather startled at what I heard, and determined at least not to set out through the wood just as evening was closing in, as I might have to take up my quarters for the night under some tree ; I therefore deferred my visit to the savages until the next morning. The good people imagined that I was afraid of the savages, and earnestly assured me that they were a most harmless race, from whom I had not the least to fear. *As my knowledge of Portuguese was limited to a few words, I found it rather difficult to make myself understood, and it was only by the help of gesticulations, with now and then a small sketch, that 1 succeeded in enlightening them as to the real cause of my fear. I passed the night, therefore, with these half savages, who con- stantly showed me the greatest respect, and overwhelmed me with attention. A straw mat, which, at my request, was spread out under shelter in the court-yard, was my bed. They brought me for supper a roast fowl, rice, and hard eggs, and for dessert, oranges and tama- rind-pods ; the latter contain a brown, half sweet, half sour pulp, very agreeable to the taste. The women lay all round me, and by degrees we managed to get on wonderfully together. I showed them the different flowers and insects I had gathered during the day. This, doubtless, induced them to look upon me as a learned person, and, as such, to impute to me a knowledge of medi- cine. They begged me to prescribe for different cases of illness : bad ears, eruptions of the skin, and in the children a considerable tendency to scrofula, &c. I ordered lukewarm baths, frequent fomentations, and the use of oil and soap, applied externally and rubbed into the body. May Heaven grant that these remedies have really worked some good! On the llth of October I proceeded into the forest, in company with a negress and a Puri, to find out the Indians. At times, we had to work our way laboriously through the thicket, and then again we would find narrow paths, by which we pursued our journey with greater ease. After eight hours' walking, we came upon a number of Puris, who led us into their huts, situated in the immediate vicinity, where I beheld a picture of the greatest misery and want : I had often met with a great deal of wretchedness in my travels, but never so much as I saw here ! On a small space, under lofty trees, five huts, or rather sheds, formed of leaves, were erected, eighteen feet long, by twelve feet broad. The frames were formed of four poles stuck in the ground, with another reaching across ; and the roof of palm-leaves, through which the rain could nenetrate with the utmost facility. On three VISIT TO THE INDIANS. 49 sides, these bowers were entirely open. In the interior hung a hammock or two ; and on the ground glimmered a little fire, under a heap of ashes, in which a few roots, Indian corn, and bananas, were roasting. In one corner, under the roof, a small supply of provisions was hoarded up, and a few gourds were scattered around: these are used by the savages instead of plates, pots, water-jugs, &c. The long bows and arrows, which constitute their only weapons, were leaning in the background against the wall. I found the Indians still more ugly than the negroes. Their com- plexion is a light bronze, stunted in stature, well-knit, and about the middle size. They have broad and somewhat compressed features, and thick, coal-black hair, hanging straight down, which the women sometimes wear in plaits fastened to the back of the head, and some- times falling down loose about them. Their forehead is broad and low, the nose somewhat flattened, the eyes long and narrow, almost like those of the Chinese, and the mouth large, with rather thick lips. To give a still greater effect to all these various charms, a peculiar look of stupidity is spread over the whole face, and is more especially to be attributed to the way in which their mouths are always kept opened. Most of them, both men and women, were tatooed with a reddish or blue colour, though only round the mouth, in the form of a mous- tache. " Both sexes are passionately fond of smoking, and prefer brandy to everything. Their dress was composed of a few rags, which they had fastened round their loins. I had already heard, in Novo Friburgo, a few interesting par- ticulars concerning the Puris, which I will here relate. The number of the Brazilian Indians at the present time is cal- culated at about 500,000, who live scattered about the forests in the heart of the country. Not more than six or seven families ever settle on the same spot, which they leave as soon as the game in the neighbourhood has been killed, and all the fruit and roots con- sumed. A large number of these Indians have been christened. They are always ready, for a little brandy or tobacco, to undergo the cere- mony at the shortest notice, and only regret that it cannot be repeated more frequently, as it is soon over. The priest believes that he has only to perform the rite in order to gain another soul for heaven, and afterwards gives himself very little concern, either about the instruction or the manners* and morals of his converts. These, it is true, are called Christians, or tamed savages, but live in the same heathen manner that they previously did. Thus, for instance, they contract marriages for indefinite periods; elect their Caciques (chiefs) from the strongest and finest men ; follow all their old customs on the occasion of marriages and deaths, just the same as before baptism. Their language is very poor : they are said, for example, only to be able to count one and two, and are therefore obliged, when they desire to express a larger number, to repeat these two figures con- tinually. Furthermore, for to-day, to-morrow, and yesterday, they possess only the word day, and express their more particular mean- ing by signs ; for to-day, they say day, and feel their head, or point upwards ; for to-morrow, they again use the word day, and point 50 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. tlieir fingers in a straightforward direction j and for yesterday, they use the same word, and point behind them. The Puris are said to be peculiarly adapted for tracking runaway negroes, as their organs of smell are very highly developed. They smell the trace of the fugitive on the leaves of the trees ; and if the negro does not succeed in reaching some stream, in which he cart either walk or swim for a considerable distance, it is asserted that he can very seldom escape the Indian engaged in pursuit of him. These savages are also readily employed in felling timber, and cultivating Indian corn, manioc, &c., as they are very industrious, and think themselves well paid with a little tobacco, brandy, or coloured cloth. But on no account must they be compelled to do anything by force r they are free men. They seldom, however, come to offer their assist- ance unless they are half-starved. I visited the huts of all these savages ; and, as my guides had trumpeted forth my praises as being a woman of great knowledge, I was here asked my advice for the benefit of every one who was ill. In one of the huts, I found an old woman groaning in her ham- mock. On my drawing nearer, they uncovered the poor creature, and I perceived that all her breast was eaten up by cancer. She seemed to have no idea of a bandage, or any means of soothing the pain. I advised her to wash the wound frequently with a decoction of mallows,* and, in addition to this, to cover it over with the leaves of the same plant. I only trust that my advice procured her some trifling relief. This horrible disease unfortunately does not appear to be at all rare among the Puris, for I saw many of their women, some of whom had large hard swellings, and others even small tumours on the breast. After having sufficiently examined everything in the huts, I went with some of the savages to shoot parrots and monkeys. We had not far to go in order to meet with both ; and I had now an oppor- tunity of admiring the skill with which these people use their bows. They" brought down the birds even when they were on the wing-, and very seldom missed their mark. After shooting three parrots and an ape, we returned to the huts. The good creatures offered me the best hut they possessed, an<2 invited me to pass the night there. Being rather fatigued by the toilsome nature of my journey on foot, the heat, and the hunting excursion, I very joyfully accepted their proposition: the day, too, was drawing to a close, and I should not have been able to reach the settlement of the whites before night. I therefore spread out my cloak upon the ground, arranged a log of wood so as to serve instead of a pillow, and for the present seated myself upon my splendid couch. In the meanwhile, my hosts were preparing 1 the monkey and the parrots, by sticking them on wooden spits, and roasting them before the fire. In order to render the meal a peculiarly dainty one, they also buried some Indian corn and roots in the cinders. They then gathered a few large fresh leaves off the trees, tore the roasted ape into several pieces with their hands, and placing a large portion of it, as well as a parrot, Indian corn, and some roots upon the leaves, * This wholesome plant grows very commonly in the Brazils. VISIT TO THE INDIANS. 51 put it before me. My appetite was tremendous, seeing that I had tasted nothing since the morning. I therefore immediately fell to on the roasted monkey, which I found superlatively delicious : the flesh of the parrot was far from being- so tender and palatable. After our meal, I begged the Indians to perform one of their dances for me a request with which they readily complied. As it was already dark, they brought a quantity of wood, which they formed into a sort of funeral pile, and set on fire: the men then formed a circle all round, and began to dance. They threw their bodies from side to side in a most remarkably awkward fashion, but always moving the head forwards in a straight line. The women then joined in, remain- ing', however, at little some distance in the rear of the men, and making the same awkward movements. They now began a most horrible noise, which was intended for a song, at the same time distorting their features in a frightful manner. One of them stood near, play- ng upon a kind of stringed instrument, made out of the stem of a cab- bage-palm, and about two feet, or two feet and a half, in length. A hole was cut in it in a slanting direction, and six fibres of the stem had been raised up and kept in an elevated position at en eh end, by means of a small bridge. The fingers were then used for playing 1 upon these as upon a guitar : the tone was very low, disagreeable, and hoarse. This first danco they named the Dance of Peace and Joy. The men then performed a much wilder one alone. After providing themselves for the purpose witli bows, arrows, and stout clubs, they again formed a circle, but their movements were much quicker and wilder than in the, first inst;inc^, and they likewise hit about them with their clubs in a horrible fashion. They then suddenly broke their rank, strung their bows, placed their arrows ready, and went through the puntomine of shooting after a flying foe, uttering at the same time the most piercing cries, which echoed through the whole forest. I started up in affright, for I really believed that I was sur- rounded by enemies, nnd that I was delivered up into their power, with- out any chance of help or assistance. I was heartily glad when this horrible war-dance came to a conclusion. After retiring to iv. .: ;;: to n'> purpose, without visiling the waterfall near jS'ovo Friburgo, which wj might h i\o adiniivd very much at our leisure. On cur return we only came eight miles out of our wyy. CHAPTER Y. THE VOYAGE BOUND CAPE HOHX. DEPARTURE FROM Rio JANEIRO SANTOS AND ST. PAULO CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF CAPB HORN THE STRAITS OF MACALLAN ARRIVAL IN VALPA.RASIO 8m DECEMBER, 1846, TO 2ND MARCH, 1847. WHEN I paid 25 for my place in the fine English barque, "John Renwick/' Captain Bell, the latter promised me that he would be ready to sail on the 25th of .November at the latest, and would stop at no intermediate port, but shape his course direct to Valparaiso. The first part of this promise I believed, becaused he assured me that every day be stopped cost him 7; and the second, because, as a general rule, I willingly believe every one, even ship captains. In both particulars, however, was I deceived ; for it was not until the 8th of December that I received a notice to go on board that evening and then for the first time the captain informed me that he must run into Santos, to lay in a stock of provisions, which were there much cheaper than in liio Janeiro. 'J hat he also intended clearing- out a cargo of coal and taking in another of sugar, he did not tell me till we arrived in Santos itself, where he also assured me that all these different matters would not take him more than three or four days. I took leave of my friends and went on board in the evening; Count Berchthold and Messrs. Geiger and Ulster accompanying ine to the ship. Early in the morning of the 9th of December we weighed anchor, but the wind was so unfavourable that we were obliged to tack the whole day in order to gain the open sea, and it was not until about 10 A.M. that we lost sight of land. There were eight passengers besides myself; five Frenchmen, one Belgian, and two citizens of Milan. I looked upon the latter as half countrymen of mine, and we were soon very good friends. It was the second time this y e;ir that the two Italians were making 1 the voyage round Cape Horn. Their first had not been fortunate; they reached Cape Horn in winter, which in those cold southern latitudes lasts from April till about .November.* They were unable to circumnavigate the Cape, being driven back by violent contrary winds and storms, against which they strove for fourteen weary days without making the least progress. The crew now lost courage, and affirmed that it would be advisable to turn back and wait for more favourable winds. The captain, however, was not of this opinion, and succeeded so well in working upon the pride of the crew that they once more engaged in their conflict with the elements. It was, however, for the lust time, for the very same night a tremendous sea * In the southern hemisphere the seasons, as regards the months, are exactly the contrary to what they :ire in the nnrfhrrn. For instance, when it is winter on one side of the Equator it is summ-r on tiie other, &c. E 2 54 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. broke over the ship, tearing- away all her upper works, and sweeping* the captain and six of the sailors overboard. The water poured in torrents into the cabins, and drove every one from the berths. The bulwarks, boats, and binnacle were carried clean off, and the main- mast had to be ut away. The sailors then turned the ship about y and after a long and dangerous voyage, succeeded in bringing her^ dismasted as she was, into Rio Janeiro. This story was not very encouraging-, but the fine weather and our good ship relieved us of all anxiety. With regard to the vessel, we could not have chosen a better. It had large, comfortable cabins, an exceedingly good-natured and obliging captain, and a bill of fare which must have contented the most dainty pa/ate. Every day we had roast or stewed fowls, ducks or geese, fresh mutton or pork, eggs variously prepared, plum-pudding' and tarts; to all this were added side dishes of ham, rice, potatoes, and other veg-etables; and for des- sert, dried fruits, nuts, almonds, cheese, &c. There was also plenty of bread, fresh baked every day, and good wine. We all unanimously acknowledged that we had never been so well treated, or had so good a table in any sailing vessel before; find we could, therefore, in this respect, look forward to our voyage without any apprehension. On the 12th of December we hove in sight of the mountain ranges of Santos, and at 9 o'clock the same evening we reached a bay which the captain took for that of the same name. Lighted torches were repeatedly held over the vessel's side to summon a pilot; no pilot, however, made his appearance, and we were therefore obliged to trust to chance, and anchor at the mouth of the bay. On the morning of the 13th a pilot came on board, and astonished us with the intelligence that we had anchored before the wrong bay. We had some trouble in working our way out, and anchoring about noon in the right one. A pretty little chateau-like building imme- diately attracted our attention. We took it for some advanced building of the town, and congratulated one another on having reached our temporary destination so quickly. On approaching nearer, however, we could perceive no signs of the town, and learned that the building- was a small fort, and that Santos was situated in a second bay, communicating with the first by a small arm of the sea. Unluckily, the wind had by this time fallen, and wo were obliged to be at anchor all day, and it was not until the 14th that a slight breeze sprang up and wafted us into port. Santos is most charmingly situated at the entrance of a large valley. Picturesque hills, adorned with chapels and detached house*, rise on each side, and immediately beyond are considerable mountain ranges, spreading in a semi-circle round the valley, while a lovely island forms a most beautiful foreground to the whole. We had scarcely landed before the captain informed us that wo must stop for at least rive days. The Italians, one of the Frenchmen, and myself determined that we would take advantage of this delay to make an excursion to St. Paulo, the larg- st inland town of thc- JJrazils, and about forty miles from Santos. The same evening we hired mutes, for which we paid five milreis (10s. lOd.) each, and set out upon our trip. RIO GRANDE AND ST. PAULO. 55 loth December. Early in the morning, we armed ourselves with well-charged double-barreled pistols, having been alarmed by accounts of the Maroon negroes,* about, a hundred of whom were said to be at that time lurking in the mountains, and to be so daring that they extended their inroads as far as the vicinity of Santos itself. The first eight miles led through the valley to the lofty range of mountains which we had to cross. The road was good, and more frequented than any I had yet seen in the Brazils. Handsome wooden bridges traverse the rivers Vicente and Cubatao ; one of these bridges is actually covered, but then every one is charged a pretty high toll. In one of the vendas at the foot of the mountain we fortified our- .selves with some excellent pan-cakes, laid in a stock of sugar-canes, the juice of which is exceedingly refreshing in the great heat, and then proceeded to scale the Serra, 3,400 feet high. The road was execrable ; full of holes, pits, and puddles, in which our poor beasts often sank above their knees. "We had to skirt chasms and ravines, with torrents rolling loudly beneath, yet not visible to us on account of the thick underwood which grew over them, Some part of the way, too, lay through virgin forests, which, however, were not nearly so beautiful or thick as some I had traversed on my excursion to the Puris. There were hardly any palm-trees, and the few there were, reminded us, from their thin stems and scanty foliage, of those of a colder climate. The prospect from the Serra struck us all with astonishment. The entire valley, with its woods and prairies, was spread far and wide before our sight as far as the bays, the little detached huts being quite indistinguishable, while only a part of the town and a few masts of ships wore perceptible in the distance. A turning in the road soon shut out this charming picture from, our gaze ; we then left the Serra and entered upon a woody, uneven tract, alternating with large level grass-plots, covered with low brushwood, and innumerable mole-hills, two feet high. Halfway from Santos to St. Paulo is a place called Rio Grande, the houses of which lie, after the Brazilian fashion, so far apart, that no one would suppose they had any connection with each other. The owner of the mules used on this journey resides here, and here, likewise, the money for their hire is paid. If the traveller desires to proceed immediately ho has fresh mules given him, but, should he prefer stopping the afternoon or night, he finds very good victuals and clean rooms, for which he has nothing' to pay, as they are included in the five milreis (105. 1O/.) charged for the rnules. We snatched a hasty morsel or two, and then hurried on, in order to complete the second half of the road before sunset. The plain became broader and broader the nearer we approached the town ; the beauty of the scenery falls off very much, and for the fii\st time since I left Europe, did I see fields and hills of sand. The town itself, situated upon a hill, presents a tolerable appearance ; it contains * Maroon negroes are those negroes who have run away from their masters. They generally collect in l,ir;:e bunds, and retire into the recesses of the virgin forests, whence, however, tliey often emerge to steal and plunder their depredations are not unfrequently accompanied by murder. 56 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. about 22,000 inhabitants, and is a place of considerable importance for the internal commerce of the country. In spite of this, however, it has neither an inn nor any other place where strangers can alight. After inquiring for a loner time in vain for lodgings, we were directed to a German and a Frenchman, with the remark that both received lodgers out of pure politeness. We first went to the German, who very bluntly cut us short by saying that he had no room. From him we proceeded to the Frenchman, who sent us to a Portuguese, and on visiting the latter we received the same answer we had obtained from the German. We were now greatly embarrassed ; the more so, because the wearisome nature of our journey had so fatigued the Frenchman, that he was hardly able any longer to sit upright in his saddle. In this critical position I thought of the letter of recommendation that Herr Geiger had given me in Kio Janeiro, for a German gentle- man of the name of Loskiel, who had settled here. I had intended not to deliver this letter until the next day, but " necessity knows no law," and so I paid my visit the same evening. He was kind enough to interest himself for us in the warmest manner imaginable. He gave one of the gentlemen and myself lodgings in his own house, and our two companions in that of a neighbour of his, inviting all of us to dine at his table. We now learned that in St. Paulo no one, not even an hotel-keeper, will receive a stranger if he be not provided with a letter of recommenda- tion. It is certainly a lucky thing for travellers that this strange custom is not prevalent everywhere. 16th December. After having completely recovered ourselves from the fatigues of our yesterday's ride, our first thought was to vie'w the curiosities of the town. We asked our hospitable host for information on this point, but he merely shrugged his shoulders, and said, that he knew of no curiosities, unless, indeed, we chose to look upon the Botanical Garden in the light of one. We went out, therefore, after breakfast, and first of all viewed the town, where we found that the number of large and we'll-built houses was, in comparison to the size of the two places, greater than in llio Janeiro, although even here, there was nothing like taste or peculiar architectural style. The streets are tolerably wide, but present an extraordinarily deserted appearance, the universal silence being broken only by the insupportable creaking of the country people's carts. These carts rest upon two wheels, or rather two wooden disks, which are often not even hooped with iron to keep them together. The axle, which is likewise of wood, is never greased, and thus causes the demoniacal kind of music to which I alluded. A peculiarity of dress, very remarkable in this hot climate, is here prevalent; all the men, with the exception of the slaves, wear large cloth cloaks, one half of which they throw over their shoulder; I even saw a great many women enveloped in long, broad cloth capes. In St. Paulo there is a High School. Those who study there, and come from the country or the smaller towns, are exposed to the inconvenience of being refused lodgings under any one's roof. They A5TOS. 57 are obliged to hire and furnish houses for them selves, and he their own housekeepers. We visited several churches which possess very little worth looking at, either inside or out, and then concluded hy proceeding- to the Botanical Garden, which also contains no object of any interest, with the exception of a plantation of Chinese teas. All our sight-seeing 1 did not occupy us more than a few hours, and we could very conveniently have begun our journey back to Santos the next morning; but the Frenchman, who, on account of the great fatigue he had suffered, had not accompanied us in our walk, begged us to put off our return for half a day longer, and to arrange it in such a manner, that we should pass the night in Eio Grande. We willingly acceded to his wish, and set out upon the afternoon of the 17th, "after thanking our kind host most cordially for his hospitable entertainment. In liio Grande we found an excellent supper, con- venient sleeping apartments, and a good breakfast the next morning. About 12 o'clock on the 18th of December, we arrived safely in Santos, and the Frenchman then confessed to us he had felt so fatigued on arriving at St. Paulo, from Ins lonir ride, that he was afraid of being seriously ill. However, he recovered himself com- pletely in a i'ew days, but assured us, that it would be some time before he again accompanied us on one of our trips. The first question we put to the ciptainwas: "When do you weigh anchor?" to which he very politely replied, that as soon as he had cleared out, U(K) tons of coal', and shipped 6,000 sacks of sugar, he should be ready to s< j t sail, and in consequence of this we had to remain three whole weary weeks in Santos. We were still in Santos when we celebrated New- Year's Day, 1847, and at last, on the 2nd of January, were lucky enough to bid the town adieu ; but did not proceed far, for in the first bay the wind fell, and did not spring up again till after midnight. It was now Sunday, and no true Englishman will set sail on a Sunday ; we remained, therefore, lyingat anchor tho whole of the 3rd of January, looking with very melancholy feelings after two ships, whoso captains, in spite of the' holiness of the day, had profited by the fresh breeze, and sailed gaily past us. On the same evening we saw a vessel, which our captain affirmed was a slaver, run into the bay. It kept as far as possible from the fort, and cast, anchor at the most outward extremity of the bay. As the night was clear and moonlight we walked late upon deck, when, true enough, we saw little boats laden with negroes pulling in shore. An officer, indeed, came from the fort to inquire into the doings of this .suspicious craft ; but the owner seemed to n fiord him a ?a{ isfactory account, for he left the ship, and the slaves continued during the whole night to be quietly and undisturbedly smuggled in as before. On the morning of the 4th of January, as we sailed past the vessel, we beheld a great number of the poor creatures still standing upon the deck. Our captain inquired of the slave-dealer how many slaves he had had on board, and we learned with astonishment that the num- ber amounted to (570. Much has already been said and written upon 58 A TV'OMATf S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. tliis horrible trade ; it is everywhere execrated, and looked upon as a blot on the human race, arid yet it still continues to flourish. This day promised to turn out a very melancholy one in many respects. We had hardly lost sight of the slaver before one of our own crew had nearly committed suicide. The steward, a young- mulatto, had contracted the bad habit of indulging too much in liquor. The captain had often threatened to punish him severely, but all to no purpose ; and this morning he was so intoxicated that the sailors were obliged to lay him in a corner of the forecastle, where he might sleep himself sober. Suddenly, however, he leapt up, clambered on to the forepart of the ship, and threw himself into the sea. Luckily, it was almost a calm, the water was quite still, and we had hopes of saving him. He soon reappeared at the side of the vessel, and ropes were thrown him from every side. The love of life was awakened in his breast, and caused him to grasp involuntarily at the ropes, but he had not strength enough to hold on. He again sank, mid it was only after great exertion that the brave sailors succeeded in rescuing him from a watery grave. Hardly had he recovered his senses ere he endeavoured to throw himself in again, exclaiming' that he had no wish to live. The man was raving mad, and the captain was obliged to have him bound hand and foot, and chained to the mast. On the following day he was deprived of his office, and degraded to the rank of subordinate to a new steward. 5th January. Mostly calms. Our cook caught, to-day, a fish three feet long, and remarkable for the manner in which it changed colour. When it came out of the water it was a bright yellow, to which colour it owes its name of Dorado. At the expiration of one or two minutes the brillant yellow changed into a light sky-blue, and after its death its belly again turned to a beautiful light yellow, but the back was a brownish green. It is reckoned a great delicacy, but, for my own part, I found its flesh rather dry. On theOth of J anuary we were off the Rio Grande. In the evening everything- seemed to promise a violent storm ; the captain consulted his barometer every second almost, and issued his orders according to its indications. Black clouds now began to drive towards us, and the wind increased to such a pitch that the captain had all the hatch- ways carefully fastened down, and the crew ready to reef the sails at si moment's notice. At a little past 8, the hurricane broke forth. Flash after flash of lightning darted across the horizon from every side, and lighted the sailors in their work ; the agitated waves being illuminated with the most dazzling brilliancy. The majestic rolling- of the thunder drowned the captain's voice, and the white foaming bil- lows broke with such terrilic force over the 'deck, that it appeared as if they would carry everything with them into the depths of the ocean. Unless there had been ropes stretched on each side of the ship for the sailors to catch hold of, the latter would most certainly have been washed away. Such a storm as this affords much food for reflec- tion. You are alone upon the boundless ocean, farfrom all human help, and feel more than ever that your life depends upon the Almighty alone. The man who, in such a dreadful and solemn moment, can COAST OF PATAGONIA. 59 still believe there is no God, must indeed be irretrievably struck with mental blindness. A feeling of tranquil joy always comes over me during such great convulsions ot Nature. I very often hadmvself bound near the binnacle, and let the tremendous" waves breakover me, in order to absorb, as it were, as much of the spectacle before me as possible ; on no occasion did I ever feel alarmed, but always confident and resigned. At the expiration of four hours the storm had worn itself out, and was succeeded by a perfect calm. On the 10th of January we caught sight of several sea-turtles and a whale. The latter was only a young one, about forty feet long. llth January. We were now off the Bio Plata,* and found the temperature very perceptibly cooler. tip to the present time we had seen no signs of sea-tangle or molluscsc, but during the night we beheld some rnolluscso for the first time, shining like stars at a great depth below the surface of the water. In these latitudes the constellation of the southern cross keeps increasing in brilliancy and beauty, 1 hough it is far from being as won- derful as it is said to be. The stars in it, four in number, and disposed somewhat in the following manner, *#*# are, it is true, large and splendid; but they did not excite, either in myself or any other person, of our company, much more admiration than the other constellations. As a general rule, many travellers exaggerate a great deal. On the one hand, they often describe things which they have never seen themselves, and only know from hearsay ; and, on the other, they adorn what they really have seen with a little too much imagination. ICth January. In 37 South hit. we fell in with a strong current, running from south to north, and having a yellow streak down the middle of it. The captain said that this streak was caused by a shoal of small fishes. I had some water drawn up in a bucket, and really found a few dozen living creatures, which, in my opinion, however, belonged rather to some species of molluscsc than to any kind of fish. They were about three-quarters of an inch long 1 , and as transparent as the most delicate water-bubbles ; they were marked with white and light yellow spots on the forepart of their bodies, and had a few feelers underneath. In the night of the 20th to 21st of January we were overtaken by a very violent storm, which so damaged our mainmast that the captain determined on running into some haven on the first opportunity, and putting in a new one. For the present the old one was made fast with cables, iron chains, and braces. In 43 North Lit. we saw the first sea-tangle. The temperature had by this time very perceptibly decreased in warmth, the glass often standing no higher than 59 or 03 Fah. '2.3rd January. We were so near Patagonia that we could distinctly make out the outline of the coast. 26th January. We still kept near the land. In 50 South lat. we saw the chalky mountains of Patagonia. To-day we passed the Falk- land Islands, which stretched from 51 to 52 South lat. We did not * The Rio Plata is one of the largest rivers in Brazil. CO A WOMAN'S JOUENEY BOUND THE WORLD. see them, however, as we kept as near the land as possible, in order not to miss the Straits of Magellan. For some days the captain had been studying an English book, which, in his opinion, clearly proved that the passage through the Straits of Magellan was far less dangerous and far shorter than that round Cape Horn. I asked him how it happened that other sailors knew nothing of this valuable book, and M'hy all vessels bound for the western coast of America went round Cape Horn ? He could give me no other answer than that the book was very dear, and that that was the reason no one bought it.* To me this bold idea of the captain's was extremely welcome. I already pictured in my mind the six-feet tall Patagonians putting off to us in their boats ; I saw my self taking their muscles, plants, ornaments, and weapons, in exchange for coloured ribbons and handkerchiefs ; while, to render my satisfaction complete, the captain said that he should land at Port Famine (a Patagonian haven) to supply the injured portion of our mainmast. How thankful was I, in secret, to the storm for having reduced our ship to her present condition. Too soon, however, were all my flattering hopes and dreams dis- pelled. On the 27th of January the latitude and longitude were taken, and it was then found that the Straits of Magellan were twenty-seven minutes (or nautical miles) behind us, but as we were becalmed, the captain promised, in case a favourable wind should spring up, to endeavour to return as far as the Straits. I placed no more confidence in this promise, and I was right. About noon a scarcely perceptible breeze sprung up, which the cap- tain, in high spirits, pronounced a favourable one for rounding Cape Horn. If he had ever really intended to pass through the Straits he would only have had to cruise about for a few hours, for the wind soon changed and blew directly in the desired direction. 28th January. We were constantly so near Terra del Fuego that we could make out every bush with the naked eye, We could have reached the land in an hour, without retarding our voyage in the least, for we were frequently becalmed ; but the captain would not consent, as the wind might spring up every instant. The coast appeared rather steep, but not high ; the foreground was composed of meagre pasture alternating with tracts of sand, and in the background were ranges of woody hills, beyond which rose snow- covered mountains. On the whole, the country struck me as being much more inhabitable than the Island of Iceland, which I had visited a year and a half previously. The temperature, too, must here be higher, as even at sea we had 54 5' and ,09 Fall. I saw three kinds of sea-tangle, but could only obtain a specimen of one, resembling that which I had seen in 44 South lat. The second kind was not very different, and it was only the third that had pointed leaves, several of which together formed a sort of fan several feet long and broad. On the 30th of January we passed very near the Staten Islands, lying between 56 and 57 South lat. They are composed of bare * Other captains assured me that it was only possible for men-of-war to pass through the Straits of Magflbm, :is the passer requires a pi-pat number of hands. Every evening tin- fliip must he brought to an anchor, and the crew must constantly be in readiness to trim or reef the sail.-, on account cf the various winds which are always springing up. ROUNDING CAPE HOKN". 61 high mountains, and separated from Terra del Fuego by an arm of the sea, called Le Maire, only seven miles long and about the same distance across. The captain told us, seaman-like, that on one occasion of his sailing through these Straits, his ship had got into a strong current, and regularly danced, turning round during the passage at least a thousand times ! I had already lost a great deal of confidence in the captain's tales, but I kept my eye steadily fixed upon a Hamburgh brig, that happened to be sailing ahead, to see whether she would dance ; but neither she nor our own bark was so obliging. Neither vessels turned even once, and the onlv circumstance worthy of remark was the heaving 1 and foaming of the waves in the Strait, while at both ends the sea lay majestically calm before our eyes. We had passed the Strait in an hour, and I took the liberty of asking the captain, why our ship had not danced, to which he replied that it was because we had had both wind and current with us. It is, perhaps, possible that under other circumstances the vessel might have turned round once or twice, but I strongly doubt its doing so a thousand times. This was, however, a favourite number with our worthy captain. One of the gentlemen once asked him some question about the first London hotels, and was told that it was impossible to remember their names, as there were above a thousand of the first class. Near the Strait Le Maire begins, in the opinion of seamen, the dangerous part of the passage round Cape Horn, and ends oft' the Straits of Magellan. Immediately we entered it we were greeted with two most violent bursts of wind, each of which lasted about half an hour ; they came from the neighbouring icy chasms in the mountains of Terra del Fuego, and split two sails, and broke the great studding sail-yard, although the sailors were numerous and quick. The distance from the end of the Strait Le Maire to the extreme point of the Cape is calculated to be not more than seventy miles, and yet this trifling passage cost us three clays. At last, on the 3rd of February, we were fortunate enough to reach the southernmost point of America, so dreaded by all mariners. Bare, pointed mountains, one of which looks like acrater that has fallen in, form the extremity of the mighty mountain-chain, and a magni- ficent group of colossal black rocks (basalt?), of all shapes and sizes, are scattered at some distance in advance, and are separated only by a small arm of the sea. The extreme point of Cape Horn is GOO feet high. At this spot, according to our works on Geography, the Atlantic Ocean changes its name and assumes that of the Pacific. Sailors, however, do not give it the latter designation before reaching the Straits of Magellan, as up to this point the sea is continually stormy and agitated, as we learned to our cost, being 1 driven by violent storms as far back as 60 South Int. Besides this, we lost our top- mast, which was broken off, and which, in spite of the heavy sea, had to be replaced ; the vessel, meanwhile, being so tossed about, that we were often unable to take our meals at the table, but were obliged to squat down upon the ground, and hold our plates in our hands. On one of these fine days the steward stumbled with the coffee-pot, and deluged me with its burning contents. Luckily, only a small 62 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. portion fell upon my hands, so that the accident was not a very serious one. After battling for fourteen days with winds and waves, with rain and cold,* we at last arrived off the western entrance to the Straits of Magellan, having accomplished the most dangerous portion of our voyage. During 1 these fourteen days we saw very few whales, or .albatrosses, and not one iceberg. We thought that we should now quietly pursue our way upon the placid sea, trusting confidently in its peaceful name. For three whole days we had nothing to complain of; but in the night of the 19th to the 20th of February, we were overtaken by a storm worthy of the Atlantic itself, which lasted for nearly twenty-four hours, and cost us four sails. We suffered most damage from the tremendous waves, which broke with such fury over the ship, that they tore up -one of the planks of the deck, and let the water into the cargo of sugar. The deck itself was like a lake, and the portholes had to be opened in order to get rid of the water more quickly. The water leaked in the hold at the rate of two inches an hour. We could not light any fire, and were obliged to content ourselves with bread and cheese and raw ham, which we with great difficulty conveyed to our mouth as we sat upon the ground. The last cask of lamp oil, too, fell a sacrifice to this storm, having- t>een torn from its fastenings, and broken into pieces. The captain was very apprehensive of not having enough oil to light the compass till we arrived at Valparaiso ; and all the lamps on the ship were, in -consequence, replaced by candles, and the small quantity of oil remain- ing kept for the compass. In spite of all these annoyances, we kept up our spirits, and, even during the storm we could scarcely refrain from laughing at the comical positions we all fell into whenever we attempted to stand up. The remainder of the voyage to Valparaiso was calm, but exces- sively disagreeable. The captain wished to present a magnificent appearance on arriving-, so that the good people might believe that wind and waves could not injure his fine vessel. He had the whole -ship painted from top to bottom with oil colours ; even the little doors in the cabins were not spared this infliction. IN'ot content with creating a most horrible disturbance over our heads, the carpentei invaded even our cabins, filling all our things with sawdust and dirt, so that we poor passengers had not a dry or quiet place of refuge in the whole ship. Just as much as we had been pleased with Captain Bell's politeness during- all the previous part of the voyage, were we indignant at his behaviour during the last five or six days. But we could offer no resistance, for the captain is an autocrat on board his own ship, knowing neither a constitution nor any other limit to his despotic power. At 6 o'clock in the morning of the '2nd of March, we ran into the port of Valparaiso. * The glass sank in the day-time to 48 and 50, and at night to 23 below Zero. CHAPTEE VI. AERIVAL AND EESIDENCE IJ* VALPAEAISO. APPEARANCE OF THE TOWN PUBLIC BUILDINGS A PEW OBSERVATIONS ON THJET MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THK LOWER CLASSES THE EATING-HOUSES OF POLANKA THE CHERUB (ANGELITO) THE RAILROAD GOLD AND SILVER MINES. THE appearance of Valparaiso is dull and monotonous. The town is laid out in two Ions? streets at the foot of dreary hills, which look like gigantic masses of sand, but which really consist of large rocks covered with thin layers of earth and sand. On some of these hill& are houses, and on one of them is the churchyard, which, combined with the wooden church towers, built in the Spanish style, relieves, in a slight degree, the wearisome uniformity of the prospect. 2sot less astounding than the deserted look of the port, was the miserably wretched landing-place, which is composed of a high wooden quay, about 100 feet long, stretching out into the sea, with narrow steps y like ladders, against the side. It was a most pitiable sight to see a lady attempting to go up or down : all persons who were in the least weak or awkward, had to be let down with ropes. The two principal streets are tolerably broad, and very much fre- quented, especially by horsemen. Every Chilian is born a horseman^ and some of their horses are such fine animals, that you involuntarily stop to admire their proud action, their noble bearing, and the nice symmetry of their limbs. The stirrups are curiously formed, consisting of long, heavy pieces of wood, hollowed out, and into which the rider places the tips of his feet. The spurs are remarkably large, and are often about four inches in diameter. The houses are constructed completely in the European style, with flat Italian roofs. The more ancient buildings have only a ground floor, and are small and ugly, while most of the modern ones have a spacious and handsome first floor. The interior, too, of the latter is generally very tastct y. Large steps conduct into a lofty w ell- ventilated entrance-hall on the first floor, from which the visitor passes, through large glass doors, into the drawing-room and other apartments. The drawing-room i.s the pride, not only of every European who has settled in the country, but also of the Chilians, who often spend very large sums in (he 'decorations. Heavy carpets coverall the floor; rich tapestry hangs against the walls ; furniture and mirrors of the most costly description arc procured from Europe; and on the tables are- strewed niagti'iict'nt, a'lmms, adorned with the most artistic engravings. The elegant tire-places, however, convinced me 64: A WOMAN'S JOURNEY HOUND THE WORLD. that the winters here are not as mild as the inhabitants would fain have had me believe. Of all the public buildings, the Theatre and the Exchange are the finest. The interior of the former is very neat, and contains a roomy pit and two galleries, portioned off as boxes. The inhabitants of the town patronise the theatre a great deal, but not so much on account of the Italian operas played there, as for the sake of possessing a commonplace of meeting. The ladies always come in full dress, and mutual visits are made in the boxes, all of which are very spacious, and beautifully furnished with mirrors, carpets, sofas, and chairs. The second fine building, the Exchange, comprises a good-sized, cheerful hall, with convenient rooms adjoining 1 . From the hall there is a pleasant view over the town and sea. The building belonging to the " German Club " contains some fine apartments, with reading* and card rooms. The only thing that pleased me about the churches were the towers, which consist of two or three octagons, placed one above the other, and each one supported by eight columns. They are composed of wood, the altars and pillars of the nave being of the same material. The nave itself presents rather a poor and naked appearance, occa- sioned in a great degree by the absence of sittings. The men stand, and the women bring with them little carpets, which they spread before them, and on which they either kneel or sit. Ladies in easy circumstances have their carpets brought by their maids. The cathe- dral is called La Matriza. The public promenades of Valparaiso are not very pleasant, as most of the side-walks and roads are covered almost a foot deep with sand and dust, which the slightest breath of wind is sufficient to raise in thick clouds. After 10 o'clock in the morning, when the sea- breeze begins blowing 1 , the whole town is very often enveloped by it. A great many persons are said to die here from diseases of the chest and lungs. The most frequented places of resort are Polanka and the lighthouse. jNFear the latter, especially, the prospect is very beautiful, extending, as it does, on a clear day, as far as some of the majestic snow-covered spurs of the Andes. The streets, as I have already mentioned, are tolerably lively: pecu- liar omnibuses and cabriolets traverse them frequently. * The fare from one end of the town to the other is one real (2^.) There are also a great number of asses, mostly employed in carrying water and provisions. The lower classes are remarkably ug-ly. The Chilians have a yellowish brown complexion, thick black hair, most unpleasant features, and such a peculiarly repulsive cast of countenance, that any physiognomist would straightway pronounce them to be robbers or pickpockets at the ler.st. Captain Bell hud told me a great deal of the extraordinary honesty of these people ; and in his usual exaggerated manner, assured us that a person might leavi; a purse of gold lying in the street, with the certainty of finding 1 it the next day on the eame spot; but, in spite of this, I must frankly confess, that for my own part, I should be rather fearful of meethig 1 these honest creatures, even by d;iy, in a lonely spot, with the money in my pocket. I had subsequently opportunities of convincing myself of the MANNERS ASD CUSTOMS OF THE LOWER CLASSES. 65 fallaciousness of the captain's opinion, for I often met with convicts, chained together, and employed in the public buildings and cleaning the roads. The windows and doors, too, are secured with bolts and bars in a manner almost unknown in any town of Europe. At night, in all the streets, and on all the hills which are inhabited, are parties of police, who call out to one another in exactly the game manner that the advanced posts do during a campaign. Mounted patrols also traverse the town in every direction, and persons returning' alone from the theatre or from a party often engage their services to con- duct them home. Burglariously entering a house is punished with death. All these precautions do not, most decidedly, argue much for the honesty of the people. I will take this opportunity of mentioning a scene, of which I was myself an eye-witness, as it happened before my window. A little boy was carrying 1 a number of plates and dishes on a board when the latter unluckily slipped from his grasp, and all the crockery lay in frag- ments at his feet. At first, the poor fellow was so frightened, that he stood like a column, gazing* with a fixed look at the pieces, and then began to cry most bitterly. The passers-by stopped, it is true, to look at the unfortunate child, but did not evince the least compassion ; they laughed, and went on. In any other place they would have raised a little subscription, or at lenst pitied and consoled him, but certainly would not have seen anything- to laugh at. The circum- stance is of itself a mere trifle, but it is exactly by such trifles that we are often enabled to form a true estimate of people's real characters. Another adventure, also, but of quite a different and most horrible kind, happened during my stay at Valparaiso. As I have already remarked, it is the custom here, as well as in many countries of Europe, to sentence criminals to hard labour on public works. One of the convicts endeavoured to bribe his gaoler to let him escape, and so far succeeded that the latter promised on his paying an ounce (17 Spanish dollars 3 8**.) to give him an. opportunity for flight. The prisoners are allowed every morning and afternoon to receive the visits of their friends and relations, and likewise to accept provisions from them. The wife of the convict in question profited by this regulation to bring her husband the neces- sary money ; and on receiving this, the gaoler arranged matters so that on the next morning the convict was not fastened to the same chain with a fellow-criminal, as is usually the case, but could walk alone, and thus easily get clear oil', more especially as the spot in which they worked was a very lonely one. The whole ail'air was very cunningly arranged, but either the gaoler changed his mind, or, perhaps, from the beginning had intended to act as he did he fired at the fugitive, and shot him dead. It is veiy seldom that any pure descendants of the original inha- bitants are to be seen ; wo met with only two. They struck me as very similar to the Puris of Brazil, except that they have not such small ugly-shaped eyes. In this country there are no slaves. The dress of the Chilians is quite in the European taste, especially as regards (lie women. The only difference with the men is that, instead of a coat, they frequently wear the Poncho, which is com- 66 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. posed of two pieces of cloth or merino, each about one ell broad and two ells long. The two pieces are sewn together, with the exception of an opening in the middle for the head to pass through ; the whole garment reaches down to the hips, and resembles a square cape. The Poncho is worn of all colours, green, blue, bright red, &c., and looks very handsome, especially when embroidered all round with coloured silk, which is the case when the wearer is opulent. In the streets,, the women invariably wear large scarfs, which they draw over their heads in church. My intention, on coming to Chili, was to stop for a few weeks, in order to have time for an excursion to the capital, Santiago, and after that to proceed to China, as I had been told in Rio Janeiro that there was a ship from Valparaiso to China every month. Unfortunately this was not the case. I found that vessels bound to that country were very seldom to be met with, but that there happened to be one at that moment, which would snil in five or six days. I was generally advised not to lose the opportunity, but rather to abandon my design of visiting Santiago. I reflected for a little, and agreed to do so,, although with a heavy heart ; and, in order to avoid all disappoint- ment, immediately went to the captain, who offered to take me for 200 Spanish dollars (40). I agreed, and had five days left, which I determined to spend in carefully examining 1 Valparaiso and its environs. I should have had plenty of time to pay Santiago a flying 1 visit, since it is only 130 miles from Valparaiso, but the expenses would have been very heavy, as there is no public conveyance, and consequently I should have been obliged to hire a carriage ibr myself. Besides this, I should have derived but little satisfaction from the mere superficial impressions which would have been all I could have obtained of either town. I contented myself, therefore, with Valparaiso alone. I toiled industriously up the surrounding hills and mountains, visited the huts of the lower classes, witnessed their national dances, &c., deter- mined that here at least I would become acquainted with everything. On some of the hills, especially on the Serra Allegri, there are the most lovely country-houses, with elegant gardens, and a most beautiful view over the sea. The prospect inland is not so fine, as chains of tall, naked, ugly mountains rise up behind the hills, and completely shut in the scene. The huts of the poor people are miserably bad, being mostly built of clay and wood, and threatening to fall down every moment. I hardly ventured to enter them, thinking that the interior was of a piece with the exterior, and was consequently astonished at seeing not only good beds, chairs, and tables, but very often elegant little altars adorned with flowers. The inmates, too, were far from being badly dressed, and the linen hung out before many of these hovels struck me as superior to much that I had seen at the windows of some of the most elegant houses situated in the principal streets of the towns of Sicily. A very good idea of the manners and customs of the people may be easily obtained by strolling, on Sundays ar.d fete days, near Polanka, and visiting the eating-houses. THE EATING-HOUSES OF POLANKA. 67 I will introduce my reader to one of these places. In one corner, on the ground, burns a fierce fire, surrounded by innumerable pots and pans, between which are wooden spits with beef and pork, sim- mering 1 and roasting in the most enticing manner. An ungainly wooden framework, with a long broad plank on it, occupies the middle of the room, and is covered with a cloth whose original colour it would be an impossibility to determine. This is the table at which the guests sit. During the dinner itself the old patriarchal customs are observed, with this difference, tbat not only do all the guests eat out of one dish, but that all the eatables are' served up in one, and one only. Beans and rice, potatoes and roast beef, Paradise apples .and onions, &c., &c., lie quietly side by side, and are devoured in the deepest silence. At the end of the repast, a goblet filled with wine, or sometimes merely water, is passed from hand to hand, and after this had gone round, the company begin to talk. In the evening dancing is vigorously pursued to the music of a guitar ; unfortunately, it was Lent during my visit, when all public amusements are pro- hibited. The people themselves, however, were not so particular, and were only too ready, for a few reaux, to go through the Sam- maquecca and Refolosa the national dances of the country. I had soon seen sufficient ; the gestures and movements of the dancers were beyond all description unbecoming, and I could but pity the children, whose natural modesty cannot fail to be nipped in the bud by wit- nessing the performance of these dances. I was equally displeased with a remarkable custom prevalent here, in accordance with which the death of a little child is celebrated by its parents as a grand festival. They name the deceased child an angelito (little angel), and adorn it in every possible way. Its eyes are not closed, but, on the contrary, opened as wide as possible, and its cheeks are painted red ; it is then dressed out in the finest clothes, crowned with flowers, and placed in a little chair in a kind of niche, which also is ornamented with flowers. The relations and neigh- bours then come and wish the parents joy at possessing such an angel ; and, during the first night, the parents, relations, and friends execute the wildest dances, and feast in the most joyous fashion before the angelito. I heard that in the country it was not unusual for the parents to carry the little coffin to the churchyard themselves, followed by the relations with the brandy bottle in their hands, and giving vent to their joy in the most outrageous manner. A merchant told me that one of his friends, who holds a judicial appointment, had, a short time previous, been called to decide a curious case. A grave-digger was carrying one of these deceased angels to the churchyard, when he stepped into a tavern to take a dram. The landlord inquired what he had got under his poncho, and on learning that it was an angelito, offered him two rcaux for it. The grave- digger consented ; the landlord quickly arranged a niche with flowers in the drinking-room, and then hastened to inform the whole neigh- bourhood what a treasure he had got. They all came, admired the little angel, and drank and feasted in its honour. But the parents also soon heard of it, hurried down to the tavern, took away their child, and had the landlord brought before the magistrate. On hearing 68 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOULD. the case, the latter could scarcely refrain from laughing-, but arranged the matter amicably, as such a crime was not mentioned in the statute book. The manner in which patients are conveyed to the hospital here is very remarkable. They are placed upon a simple wooden arm- chair, with one band fastened in front of them to prevent their falling off, and another beneath for them to place their feet on a most hor- rible sight when the sick person is so weak that he can no longer hold himself in an upright posture. I was not a little astonished on hearing that, in this country, where there is yet no post, or, indeed, any regular means of conveyance from one place to another, that a railroad was about being constructed from here to Santiago. The work has been undertaken by an English company, and the necessary measurements already begun. As the localities are very mountainous, the railroad will have' to make con- siderable windings, in order to profit by the level tracts, and this will occasion an enormous outlay, quite out of proportion to the present state of trade or the amount of passenger traffic. At present, there are not more than two or three vehicles a-day from one place to the other, and if by chance ten or fifteen passengers come from San- tiago to Valparaiso, the thing is talked of over the whole town. This has given rise to the belief that the construction of a railroad has merely been seized on as an excuse, in order to enable those concerned to search about the country undisturbed for ffold and silver. Persons discovering- mines are highly favoured, and have full right of property to their discovery, being obliged merely to notify the same to the government. This licence is pushed to such an extent, that if, for instance, a person can advance any plausible grounds for asserting that he has found a mine in a particular spot, such as under a church or house, &c., he is at liberty to have either pulled down, provided he is rich enough to pay for the damage done. About fifteen years ago, a donkey driver accidentally hit upon a productive silver mine. He was driving several asses over the moun- tain, when one of them ran away. He se ; zed a stone, and was about to throw it after the animal, but stumbled and fell to the ground, while the stone escaped from his grasp, and rolled away. Rising in a great passion, he snatched a second from the earth, and had drawn his arm to throw the stone, when he was struck by its uncommon weight. He looked at it more closely, and perceived that it was streaked with rich veins of pure silver. He preserved the stone as a treasure, marked the spot, drove his asses home, and then commu- nicated his important discovery to one of his friends, who was a miner. Both of them then returned to the place, which the miner examined, and pronounced the soil full of precious ore. Nothing was now wanting save capital to carry on their operations. This they pro- cured by taking the miner's employer into partnership, and in a few years all three were rich men. The six days had now elapsed, and the captain sent me a message to be on board with my bag and baggage the next day, as he intended putting out to sea in the evening ; but on the morning of his intended departure, my evil genius conducted a French man-of-war into the FURTHER DELAY IN VALPARAISO. 69 harbour. Little imngining- that this was destined to overturn all my plans, I proceeded very tranquilly to the landing-place, where I met the captain hastening 1 to meet me, with a long story about his half- carg-o, and the necessity he was under of completing- his freight with provisions for the use of the French garrison at Tahiti, and so forth: in a word, the end of the matter was, that I was informed we should have to stop another five days. In the first burst of my disappointment I paid a visit to the Sar- dinian Consul, Herr Bayerbach, and told him of the position in which I was placed. He consoled me, in a most kind and gentlemanly manner, as well as he could ; and on learning that I had already taken up my quarters on board, insisted on my occupying- a chamber in his country-house in the Serra Allegri. Besides this, he introduced me to several families, where I passed many very pleasant hours, and had the opportunity of inspecting some excellent collections of mussel- shells and insects. Our departure was again deferred from day to day; so that, although, in this manner, I spent fifteen days in Chili, I saw nothing more of it than Valparaiso and its immediate neighbourhood. As Valparaiso is situated to the south of the Equator, and, as is well known, the seasons of the southern hemisphere are exactly the contrary to those of the northern, it was now autumn. I saw (:U" South latitude) almost the same kinds of fruits and veg-etables as those we have in Germany, especially grapes and melons. The apples and pears were not so good nor so abundant as with us. In conclusion, I will here give a list of the prices which travellers have to pay for certain things : A room that is at all decent in a private house costs four or five reaux (25.) a-day; the table d'hote a piaster (4s.); but washing is more expensive than anything- else, on account of the great scarcity of water, for every article, larg-e or small, costs a real (60?.). A pass- port, too, is excessively dear, being charg-ed eight Spanish dollars (1 12.). CHAPTER VII. THE VOYAGE FROM VALPAEAISO TO CANTON VIA TAHITI. DEPARTURE PROM VALPARAISO TAHITI MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE FETE AND BALL IN HONOUR OP Louis PHILIPPE EXCURSIONS A TAHITIAN DINNER THE LAKE VAIHIRIA THE DEFILE OF FANTAUA AND THE DIADEM DEPARTURE ARRIVAL IN CHINA. ON the 17th of March, Captain Van Wyk Jurianse sent me word that his ship was ready for sea, and that he should set sail the next morning'. The news was very unwelcome to me, as, for the last two days, I had been suffering from English cholera, which on board ship, where the patient cannot procure meat broth or any other light nourishment, and where he is always more exposed to the sudden changes of the weather than he is on shore, is very apt to be attended with grave results. I did not, however, wish to miss the opportunity of visiting China, knowing how rarely it occurred, nor was I desirous of losing the two hundred dollars (40) already paid for my passage, and I therefore went on board, trusting in my good luck, which had never forsaken me on my travels. During the first few clays, I endeavoured to master my illness by observing a strict diet, and abstaining from almost everything, but to no purpose. I still continued to suffer, until I luckily thought of using salt-water baths. I took them in a large tub, in which I remained a quarter of an hour. After the second bath, I felt much better, and after the sixth, I was completely recovered. I merely mention this malady, to which I was very subject in warm climates, that I may have the opportunity of remarking, that sea-baths or cooling drinks, such as buttermilk, sour milk, sherbet, orangeade, &c., are very effica- cious remedies. The ship in which I made my present voyage, was the Dutch barque Lootpuit, a fine, strong vessel, quite remarkable for its clean- liness. The table was pretty good, too, with the exception of a few Dutch dishes, and a superfluity of onions. To these, which played a prominent part in everything that was served up, I really could not accustom myself, and felt greatly delighted that a large quantity of this noble production of the vegetable kingdom became spoilt during the voyage. The captain was a polite and kind man, and the mates and sailors were also civil and obliging. In fact, as a general rule, in every ship that I embarked in, I was far from finding 1 seamen so rough and uncivil as travellers often represent them to be. Their manners are certainly not the most polished in the world, neither are they extra- ordinarily attentive or delicate, but their hearts and dispositions are mostly good. TAHITI. After three days' sailing, we saw, on the 21st March, the island of St. Felix, and on the morning following, St. Ambrosio. They both consist of naked, inhospitable masses of rock, and serve at most as. resting-places for a few gulls. We were now within the tropics, but found the heat greatly moderated by the trade wind, and only unbearable in the cabin. For nearly a month did we now sail on, without the slightest interruption, free from storms, with the same monotonous prospect of sky and water before us, until, on the 19th of April, we reached the Archipelago of the Society Islands. This Archipelago, stretching from 130 to 140 longitude, is very dangerous, as most of the islands composing it scarcely rise above the surface of the water; in fact, to make out David Clark's Island, which was only twelve miles distant the captain was obliged to mount to the shrouds. During the night of the 21st to the 22nd of April we were over- taken by a sudden and violent storm, accompanied by heavy thunder ; this storm our captain termed a thunder-gust. While it lasted flashes, of lightning frequently played around the mast-top, occasioned by electricity. They generally flutter for two or three minutes about the moist elevated point of any object, and then disappear. The night of the 22nd' to the 23rd of April was a very dangerous one ; even the captain said so. We had to pass several of the low islands in dark rainy weather, which completely concealed the moon, from us. About midnight our position was rendered worse by the springing up of a strong wind, which, together with incessant flashes of lightning, caused us to expect another squall; luckily, however, morning broke, and we escaped both the storm and the islands. In the course of the day we passed the Bice Islands, and two days later, on the 25th of April, we beheld one of the Society Islands, Maithia. On the following morning, being the thirty-ninth of our voyage, we came in sight of Tahiti, and the island opposite to it, Emao, alsa called Moreo. .The entrance into Papeiti, the port of Tahiti, is exceedingly dangerous; it is surrounded by reefs of coral ashy a fort- ress, while' wild and foaming breakers, rolling on every side, leave but a small place open through which a vessel can steer. A pilot came out to meet us, and, although the wind was so unfavourable that the sails had to be trimmed every instant, steered us safely into port. Afterwards, when we had landed, we were congra- tulated heartily on our good fortune; every one had watched our course with the greatest anxiety, and, at the last turn the ship took,, expected to see her strike upon a coral reef. This misfortune had happened to a French man-of-war, that at the period of our arrival had been lying at anchor for some months, engaged in repairing the damage clone. Before we could come to an anchor we were surrounded by half- a-dozcii pirogues, or boats, manned by Indians, who climbed up from all sides upon the deck to offer us fruit and shell-fish, but not as formerly for red rags or glass beads such golden times for travellers are over. They demanded money, and were as grasping and cunning in their dealings as the most civilized Europeans. I offered one of them a 72 A WOMAJTS JOURNEY BOUND THE WOELD. small bronze ring; he took it, smelt it, shook his head, and gave me to understand that it was not gold. He remarked another ring on my finger, and seizing hold of my hand, sraelt this second ring as well, then twisted his face into a friendly smile, and made sig'ns for me to give him the ornament in question. I afterwards had frequent oppor- tunities of remarking that the natives of these islands have the power of distinguishing between pure and counterfeit gold by the smell. Some years ago the island of Tahiti was under the protection of the English, but at present is under that of the French. It had long been a subject of dispute between the two nations, until a friendly understanding was at last come to in November, 1846. Queen. Pomare, who had fled to another island, had returned, five weeks before my arrival, to Papeiti. She resides in a four-roomed house, and dines daily, with her family, at the governor's table. The French government is having a handsome house built for her use, and allows her a pension of 2,500 francs per annum (1,000). No stranger is allowed to visit her without the governor's permission, but this is easily obtained. Papeiti was full of French troops, and several men-of-war were lying at anchor. The place contains three or four thousand inhabitants, and con- sists of a row of small wooden houses, skirting the harbour, and separated by small gardens. In the immediate background is a fine wood, with a number of huts scattered about in different parts of it. The principal buildings are the governor's house, the JTrencli magazines, the military bakehouse, the barracks, and the queen's house, which, however, is not quite completed. Besides these, a num- ber of small wooden houses were in the course of erection, the want of them being greatly felt ; at the time of my visit even officers of high rank were obliged to be contented with the most wretched huts. I went from hut to hut in the hopes of being able to obtain some small room or other ; but in vain, all were already occupied. I was at last obliged to be satisfied with a small piece of ground, which I found at a carpenter's, whose room was already inhabited by four different individuals. I was shown a place behind the door, exactly six feet long and four broad. There was no flooring but the earth, itself; the walls were composed of wicker work ; a bed was quite out of the question, and yet for this accommodation I was obliged to pay one florin and thirty kreutzers a-week (about 7s.) The residence or hut of an Indian consists simply of a roof of palm- trees, supported on a number of poles, with sometimes the addition of walls formed of wicker-work. Each hut contains only one room, from twenty to fifty feet long, and from ten to thirty feet broad, and is frequently occupied by several families at the same time. The furniture is composed of finely woven straw mats, a few coverlids, and two or three wooden chests and stools; the last, however, are reckoned articles of luxury. Cooking utensils are not wanted, as the cookery of the Indians does not include soups or sauces, their pro- visions being simply roasted between hot stones. All they require is a knife, and a cocoa-shell for water. Before their huts, or on the shore, lie their piroques, formed of the 3IA2TSEES AXD CUSTOMS OF THE TAHITIA^S. 73 trunks of trees hollowed out, and so narrow, small, and shallow, that they would constantly be overturning, if there were not on one side five or six sticks, each about a foot long, fastened by a cross-bar, to preserve the equilibrium. In spite of this, however, one of these boats is very easily upset, unless a person steps in very cautiously. When, on one occasion, I proceeded in a piroque to the ship, the good-hearted captain was horror-struck, and, in his concern for my safety, even reprimanded me severely, and besought me not to repeat the experiment a second time. The costume of the Indians has been, since the first settlement of the missionaries (about fifty years ago), tolerably becoming, espe- cially in the neighbourhood of Papeiti. Both men and women wear round their loins a kind of apron, made of coloured stuff, and called a pareo ; the women let it fall as low down as their ancles ; the men not farther than the calf of the leg. The latter have a short coloured shirt underneath it, and again, beneath that, large flowing trousers. The women wear a long full blouse. Both ibexes wear flowers in their ears, which have such large holes bored in them that the stalk can easily be drawn through. The women, both old and young", adorn themselves with garlands of leaves and flowers, which they make in the most artistic and elegant manner. I have often seen men, too, weaving the same kind of ornament. On grand occasions, they cast over their ordinary dress an upper garment, called a tiputa, the cloth of which they manufacture them- selves from the bark of the bread and cocoa trees. The bark, while still tender, is beaten between two stones, until it is as thin as paper ; it is then coloured yellow and brown. One Sunday 1 went into the meeting'-house to see the people assembled there.* Before entering they all laid aside their flowers, with which they again ornamented themselves '< '. ?; ^parture. Some of the women had black satin blouses on, and European bonnets of an exceedingly ancient date. It would not be easy to find a more ugly sight than that of their plump, heavy heads and faces, in these old-fashioned bonnets. During the singing- of the psalms there was some degree of atten- tion, and many of the cong-regation joined in very becomingly ; but while the clergyman was performing the service, I could not remark the slightest degree of devotion in any of them ; the children played, joked, and ute, while the adults gossiped or slept; and, although I was assured that many could read, and even write, I saw only two old men who made any use of their Bibles. The men are a remarkably strong and vigorous race, six feet being by no means an uncommon height amongst them. The women, like- wise, are very tall, but too muscular they might even be termed unwieldy. The features of the men are handsomer than those of the women. They have beautiful teeth and fine dark eyes, but gene- rally a large mouth, thick lips, and an ugly nose, the cartilage being slightly crushed when the child is born, so that the nose becomes flat and broad. This fashion appears to be most popular with the females, for their noses are the ugliest. Their hair is jet black and thick, but * All the Indians are Christians (Protestants), but I fear only in name. 74 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. coarse ; the women and girls generally wear it plaited in two knots-.. The colour of their skin is a copper-brown. All the natives are- tattooed, generally from the hips half down the leg's, and frequently this mode of ornamenting themselves is extended to the hands, feet, or other parts of the body. The designs resemble arabesques ; they are regular and artistic in their composition, and executed with much taste. That the population of this place should be so vigorous and well- formed is the more surprising, if we reflect on their depraved and immoral kind of life. Little girls of seven or eight years old have their lovers of twelve or fourteen, and their parents are quite proud of the fact. The more lovers a girl has the more she is respected. As long- as she is not married she leads a most dissolute life, and it is said that not all the married women make the most faithful wives possible. I had frequent opportunities of seeing the national dances, which are the most unbecoming I ever beheld, although every painter would envy me my good fortune. Let the reader picture to himself a grove of splendid palms, and other gigantic trees of the torrid zone,"with a number of open huts, and a crowd of good-humoured islanders assembled beneath, to greet, in their fashion, the lovely evening,, which is fast approaching. Before one of the huts a circle is formed, and in the centre sit two herculean and half-naked natives, beating- time most vigorously on small drums. Five similar colossi are seated before them, moving the upper parts of their bodies in the most horrible and violent manner, and more especially the arms, hands, and fingers ; the latter they have the power of moving in every separate joint. I imagine, that by these gestures they desired to represent how they pursue their enemy, ridicule his cowardice r rejoice at their victory, and so forth. During- all this time they howl continually in a most discordant manner, and make the most hideous faces. At the commencement, the men appear alone upon the scene- of action, but after a short time two female forms dart forward from among the spectators, and dance and rave like two maniacs ; the more unbecoming, bold, and indecent their gestures, the greater the applause. The whole affair does not, at most, last longer than two minutes, and the pause before another dance is commenced not much longer. An evening's amusement of this description often lasts for hours. The younger members of society very seldom take any part in the dances. It is a great question whether the immorality of these islanders has been lessened by French civilization. From my own observations, as well as from what I was told by persons well informed on the sub- ject, I should say that this has not yet been the case, and that, for the present, there is but little hope of its being so ; while, on the other side, the natives have acquired a number of useless wants, in con- sequence of which the greed for gold has been fearfully awakened in their breasts. As they are naturally very lazy, and above all things disinclined to work, they have made the female portion of the com- munit} T the means of gaining money. Parents, brothers, and even husbands, offer to their foreign masters those belonging to them, MANITEBS ASD CUSTOMS OF THE TAHITIANS. 75 while the women themselves offer no opposition, as in this manner they can obtain the means for their own display, and money for their relations, without trouble. Every officer's house is the rendezvous of several native beauties, who go out and in at every hour of the day. Even abroad they are not particular ; they will accompany any man without the least hesitation, and no gentleman ever refuses a conduc- tress of this description. As a female of an advanced age, I may be allowed to make a few- observations upon such a state of things ; and I frankly own, that, although I have travelled much and seen a great deal, I never wit- nessed such shameful scenes of public depravity. As a proof of what I assert, I will mention a little affair which happened one day before my hut. Four fat graces were squatted on the ground smoking tobacco,, when an officer, who happened to be passing, caught a glimpse ot the charming picture, rushed up at double quick pace, and caught hold of one of the beauties by the shoulder. He began by speaking* softly to her, but, as his anger increased, he changed his tone to one of loud abuse. But neither entreaties nor threats produced the slightest effect upon the delicate creature to whom they were ad- dressed ; she remained coolly in the same position, continuing to smoke with the greatest indifference, and without deigning even to cast upon her excited swain a look, far less answer him a word. He became' enraged to such a pitch, that he so far forgot himself as to loosen the golden ear-rings from her ears, and threatened to take away all the finery he had given her. Even this was not sufficient to rouse the girl from her stolid calmness, and the valiant officer was, at last r obliged to retreat from the field of battle. From his conversation, which was half in French and half in the native dialect, I learned that in three months the girl had cost him about four hundred francs in dress and jewellery. Her wishes were satisfied, and she quietly refused to have anything more to say to him. I very often heard the feeling, attachment, and kindness of this people spoken of in terms of high praise, with which, however, I cannot unreservedly agree. Their kindness I will not precisely dis- pute ; they readily invite a stranger to share their hospitality, and even kill a pig in his honour, give him a part of their couch, &c. ; but all this costs them no trouble, and, if they are offered money in return, they take it eagerly enough, without so much as thanking the donor. As for feeling and attachment, I should almost be inclined to deny that they possessed them in the slightest degree; I saw only sensuality, and none of the nobler sentiments. I shall return to this subject, when describing my journey through the island. On the 1st of May I witnessed a highly interesting scene. It was the fete of Louis Philippe, the King of the French ; and the governor, Monsieur Bruat, exerted himself to the utmost to amuse the popula- tion of Tahiti. In the forenoon, there was a tournament on the water, in which the French sailors were the performers. Several boats with lusty oarsmen put out to sea. In the bows of each boat was a kind of ladder or steps, on which stood one of the combatants 76 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOELD. with a pole. The boats were then pulled close to one another, and each combatant endeavoured to push his antagonist into the water. Besides this, there was a Mat de Cocagne, with coloured shirts, ribbons, and other trifles fluttering' at the top, for whoever chose to climb up and get them. At 12 o'clock the chiefs and principal per- sonages were entertained at dinner. On the grass plot before the governor's house were heaped up various sorts of provisions, such as salt meat, bacon, bread, baked pork, fruits, &c. ; but instead of the guests taking 1 their places all around, as we had supposed they would have done, the chiefs divided everything into diiferent portions, and each carried his share home. In the evening there were fireworks and a ball. No part of the entertainment amused me more than the ball, where I witnessed the most startling contrasts of art and nature. Elegant Frenchwomen side by side with their brown, awkward sisters, and the staff-officers, in full uniform, in juxta-position with the half-naked islanders. Many of the natives wore, on this occasion, broad white trousers, with a shirt over them ; but there were other who had no other garments than the ordinary short shirt and the pareo. One of the chiefs who appeared in this costume, and wa afflicted with Elephantiasis,* offered a most repulsive spectacle. This evening I saw Queen Pomare for the first time. She is a woman of 36 years of age, tall and stout, but tolerably well preserved as a general rule, I found that the women here fade much less quickly than in other warm climates her face is far from ugly, and there is a most good-natured expression round her mouth and the lower portion of her face. She was enveloped in a sky-blue satin gown, or, rather, sort of blouse, ornamented all round with two rows of rich black blond. She wore large jessamine blossoms in her ears, and a wreath of flowers in her hair, while in her hand she carried a fine pocket handkerchief, beautifully embroidered, and ornamented with broad lace. In honour of the evening, she had forced her feet into shoes and stockings, though on other occasions she went barefoot. The entire costume was a present from the King of the French. The queen's husband, who is younger than herself, is the hand- somest man in Tahiti. The French jokingly call him the Prince Albert of Tahiti, not only on account of his good looks, but because, like Prince Albert in England, he is not named " the kins:,'' but simply " the queen's consort.'' He had on the uniform of a French general, which became him very well ; the more so, that he was not in the least embarrassed in it. The only drawback was his feet, which were very ugly and awkward. Besides these two high personages, there was in the company another crowned head, namely, King Otoume, the owner of one of the neighbouring islands. lie presented a most comical appearance, having put on, over a pair of full but short white trousers, a bright yellow calico coat, that most certainly had not been made by a * Elephantiasis, in this country, generally shows itself in the fret, and extends up as far as the calves of the legs. These portions of the borly, when so nfiVcfed, aro greatly swollen, and covered with scurf and blotches, so that they really might be taken for those of an elephant. 1'ETE A^D BALL IX HONOUK OP LOUIS PHILIPPE. 77 Parisian artiste, for it was a perfect model of what a coat ought not to be. This monarch was barefoot. The queen's ladies of honour, four in number, as well as most of the wives and daughters of the chiefs, were dressed in white muslin. They had also flowers in their ears, and garlands in their hair. Their behaviour and deportment were surprising, and three of the young- ladies actually danced French quadrilles with the officers, without making a fault in the figures. I was only anxious for their feet, as no one, save the royal couple, wore either shoes or stockings. Some of the old women had arrayed themselves in European bonnets, while the young ones brought their children, even the youngest, with them, and, to quiet the latter, suckled them without ceremony before the company, Before supper was announced, the queen disappeared in an adjoin- ing room to smoke a cigar or two, while her husband passed the time in playing billiards. At table I was seated between Prince Albert of Tahiti and the canary-coloured King Otoume. They were both sufficiently advanced in the rules of good breeding to show me the usual civilities ; that is, to fill my glass with water or wine, to hand me the various dishes, and so on; but it was evident that they were at great trouble to catch the tone of European society. Some of the guests, however, forgot their parts now and then: the queen, for instance, asked during the dessert, for a second plate, which she filled with sweetmeats, and ordered to be put on one side for her to take home with her. Others had to be prevented from indulging too much in the generous cham- pagne ; but, on the whole, the entertainment passed off in a becoming and good-humoured manner. I subsequently dined with the royal family several times at the governor's. The queen then appeared in the national costume, with the coloured pareo and chemise, as did also her husband. Both were barefoot. The heir apparent, a boy of nine years old, is affianced to the daughter of a neighbouring king;. The bride, who is a few years older than the princess being educated at the court of Queen Pomare, and instructed in the Christian religion, and the English and Tahitian languages. The arrangements of the queen's residence are exceedingly simple. For the present, until the stone house which is being built for her by the French government is completed, she lives in a wooden one, con- taining four rooms, and partly furnished with European furniture. As peace was now declared in Tahiti, there was no obstacle to my making a journey through the whole island. I had obtained a fort- night's leave of absence from the captain, and was desirous of devoting 1 this time to a trip. I imagined that 1 should have been able to join one or other of the officers, who are often obliged to journe} r through the island on affairs connected with the government. To my great surprise, I found, however, that they had all some extraordinary reason why it was impossible for me to accompany them at that par- ticular time. I was at a loss to account for this incivility, until one of the officers themselves told me the answer to the riddle, which was this : every gentleman always travelled with his mistress. 78 A WOMAN'S JOURXEY ROUND THE WORLD. Monsieur *, who let me into the secret, offered to take me- with him to Papara, where he resided ; but even he did not travel alone, as, besides his mistress, Tati, the principal chief of the island, and his family, accompanied him. This chief had come to Papeiti to be psesent at the fete of the 1st of May. On the 4th of March we put off to sea in a boat, for the purpose of coasting round to Papara, forty-two miles distant. I found the chief, Tati , to be a lively old man, nearly ninety years of age, who remembered perfectly the second landing 1 of the celebrated circumnavigator of the globe, Captain Cook. His. father was, at that period, the principal chief, and had concluded a friendly alliance with Cook, and, according to the custom then prevalent at Tahiti, had changed names with him. Tati enjoys from the French government a yearly pension of 6,000 francs (240), which, after his death, will fall to his eldest son. He had with him his young wife and five of his sons ; the former was twenty-three years old, and the ages of the latter varied from twelve to eighteen. The children were all the offspring of other marriages, this being his fifth wife. As we had not left Papeiti till nearly noon, and as the suns sets soon after six o'clock, and the passage between the numberless rocks is highly dangerous, we landed at Paya (22 miles), where a sixth son of Tatis ruled as chief. The island is intersected in all directions by noble mountains, the loftiest of which, the Oroena, is 6,200 feet high. In the middle of the- island the mountains separate, and a most remarkable mass of rock raises itself from the midst of them. It has the form of a diadem with a number of points, and it is to this circumstance that it owes- its name. Around the mountain range winds a forest girdle, from four to six hundred paces broad ; it is inhabited, and contains the most delicious fruit. JN T o where did I ever eat such bread-fruit, man- goes, oranges, and guavas, as I did there. As for cocoa-nuts, the natives are so extravagant with them, that they generally merely drink the water they contain, and then throw away the shell and the- fruit. In the mountains and ravines there are a great quantity of plantains, a kind of banana, which are not commonly eaten, however, without being roasted. The huts of the natives lie scattered here and there along the shore ; it is very seldom that a dozen of these huts are seen together. The bread-fruit is somewhat similar in shape to a water-melon, and weighs from four to six pounds. The outside is green, and rather rough and thin. The natives scrape it with mussel-shells, and then- split the fruit up longways into two portions, which they roast be- tween two heated stones. The taste is delicious ; it is finer than that of potatoes, and so like bread that the latter may be dispensed with without any inconvenience. The South Sea Islands are the real home- of the fruit. It is true that it grows in other parts of the tropics, but it is very different from that produced here. In Brazil, for instance, where the people call it monkeys' bread, it weighs from five * I purposely abstain from mentioning the names of any of the gentlemen at Tahiti,, a piece of reserve which I think entitles me to their thanks. EXCURSIONS IN TAHITI. 79 to thirty pounds, and is full inside of kernels, which are taken out and eaten when the fruit is roasted. These kernels taste like chestnuts. The mango is a fruit resembling 1 an apple, and of the size of a man's fist ; both the rind and the fruit itself are yellow. It tastes a little like turpentine, but loses this taste more and more the riper it gets. This fruit is of the best description ; it is full and juicy, and has a long, broad kernel in the middle. The bread and mango trees grow to a great height and circumference. The leaves of the former are about three feet long 1 , a foot and a half broad, and deeply serrated ; while those of the latter are not much larger than the leaves of our own apple-trees. Before reaching Paya, we passed several interesting places, among which may be mentioned Foar, a small French fort, situated upon a hill. Near Taipari it is necessary to pass between two rows of dan- gerous breakers, called " the Devil's Entrance." The foaming waves rose in such volume, and to so great a height, that they might almost be mistaken for walls. In the plain near Punavia is a large fort, sup- ported by several towers, built upon the neighbouring hills. At this point the scenery is beautiful. The mountain range breaks here, so that the eye can follow for a long distance the windings of a pic- turesque valley, with the black and lofty mountain Olofena in the background. Delighted as I was, however, with the beauty of the objects around me, I was no less pleased with those beneath. Our boat glided along- over countless shallows, where the water was as clear as crystal, so that the smallest pebble at the bottom was distinctly visible. I could observe groups and clusters of coloured coral and madrepore-stone, whose magnificence challenges all description. It may be said that there was a quantity of fairy flower and kitchen gardens in the sea, full of gigantic flowers, blossoms, and leaves, varied by fungi and pulse of every description, like open arabesque work, the whole inter- spersed with pretty groups of rocks of every hue. The most lovely shell-fish were clinging to these rocks, or lying scattered on the ground, while endless shoals of variegated fish darted in and out between them, like so many butterflies and humming-birds. These delicate creatures were scarcely four inches long, and surpassed in richness of colour anything I had ever seen. Many of them were of the purest sky-blue, others a light yellow, while some again, that were almost transparent, were brown, green, &c. On our arrival at Paya, about 6 in the evening, the young Tati /lad a pig, weighing eighteen or twenty pounds, killed and cooked, after the fashion of Tahiti, in honour of his father. A large fire was kindled in a shallow pit, in which were a number of stones. A quan- tity of bread-fruit (mnjore), that had been first peeled and split into two portions with a very sharp wooden axe, was then brought. When the fire had gone out, and the stones heated to the requisite degree, the pig and the fruit were laid upon them, a few other heated stones placed on the top, and the whole covered up with green branches, dry leaves, and earth. During the time that the victuals were cooking, the table was laid. A straw mat was placed ux>on the ground, and covered with 80 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. large leaves. For each guest there was a cocoa-nut shell, half-filled with miti, a sourish beverage extracted from the cocoa-palm. In an hour and a half the victuals were dug- up. The pig 1 was neither very artistically cooked nor very enticing", but cut up as quick as lightning', being 1 divided by the hand and knife into as many por- tions as there were guests, and each person had his share, tog-ether with half a bread-fruit, handed to him upon a large leaf. There was no one at our rustic table besides the officer, his mistress, the old Tati, his wife, and myself, as it is contrary to the custom of the country for the host to eat with his guests, or the children with their parents. With the exception of this ceremony, I did not observe any other proof of love or affection between the father and son. The old man, for instance, although ninety years of age, and suffering' besides from a violent cough, was obliged to pass the night under nothing but a light roof, open to the weather, while his son slept in his well- closed huts. On the 5th of May, we left Teipari with empty stomachs, as old Tati was desirous of entertaining us at one of his estates about two hours' journey distant. On our arrival, and as soon as the stones were heated for our meal, several of the natives out of the neighbouring huts hastened to profit by the opportunity to cook their provisions as well, bringing with them fish, pieces of pork, bread-fruit, plantains, and so on. The fish and meat were enveloped in large leaves. For our use, besides bread-fruit and fish, there was a turtle, weighing perhaps more than twenty pounds. The repast was held in a hut, to which the whole neighbourhood also came, and, forming themselves into groups a little on one side of us principal guests, ate the provisions they had brought with them. Each person had a cocoa-nut shell full of miti before him ; into this he first threw every morsel, and took it out again with his hand, and then what remained of the miti was drunk at the end of the meal. We had each of us a fresh cocoa-nut, with a hole bored in it, containing at least a pint of clear, sweet-tasting water. This is erroneously termed by us "Milk," but it only becomes thick and milky when the cocoa-nut is very stale, in which condition it is never eaten in these islands. Tati, with his family, remained here, while we proceeded to Papara, an hour's walk. The road was delightful, leading mostly through thick groves of fruit-trees; but it would not suit a person with a tendency to hydrophobia, for we were obliged to wade through more than half-a-dozen streams and brooks. At Papara, Monsieur possessed some landed property, with a little wooden four-roomed house, in which he was kind enough to give me a lodging. We here heard of the death of one of Tati's sons, of whom he num- bered twenty-one. He had been dead three days, and his friends were awaiting Tati to pay the last honours to the deceased. I had intended to make an excursion to the Lake Vaihiria, but deferred doing so, in order to be present at the burial. On the following morning, (5th May, I paid a visit to the hut of the deceased. Monsieur gave me a new handkerchief to take with me as a present a relic of the old EXCURSIONS iy TAHITI. 81 superstition, which the people of this island have introduced into Christianity. These presents are supposed to calm the soul of the deceased. The corpse was lying" in a narrow coffin, upon a low bier, both of which were covered with a white pall. Before the bier were hung two straw mats, on which were spread the deceased's clothes, drinking' vessels, knives, and so forth ; while on the other, lay the presents, making- quite a heap, of shirts, pareos, pieces of cloth", c., all so new and good that they might have served to furnish a small shop. Old Tati soon entered the hut, but quickly returned into the open air, stopping only a few instants, as the corpse was already most offensive. He sat down under a tree, and began talking very quietly and unconcernedly with the neighbours, as if nothing had happened. The female relatives and neighbours remained in the hut; the}", too, chatted and gossiped very contentedly, and moreover ate and smoked. I was obliged to have the wife, children, and relations of the deceased pointed out to me, for I was unable to recognise them by their demea- nour. In a little time, the stepmother and wife rose, and, throwing themselves on the coffin, howled for half an hour ; but it was easy to see that their grief did not come from the heart. Their moaning was always pitched in the same monotonous key. Both then returned with smiling faces and dry eyes to their seats, and appeared to resume the conversation at the point at which they had broken it off. The deceased's canoe was burned upon the shore. I had seen enough, and returned to my quarters to make some preparations for my trip to the lake the next day. The distance is reckoned to be eighteen miles, so that the journey there and back may be performed in t\v< days with ease, and yet a guide had the conscience to ask ten dollars (iX>) for his services. With the assistance of old Tati, however, I procured one for three dollars (12s.). Pedestrian trips are very fatiguing in Tahiti, since it is so richly watered that the excursionist is constantly obliged to wade through plains of sand and rivers. I was very suitably clothed for the purpose, having got strong men's shoes, without any stockings, trousers, and a blouse, which I had fastened up as high as my hips. Thus equipped, I began, on the 7th of May, my short journey, in company with my guide. In the first third of my road, which lay aloniety and extraordinary talent. His parents apprenticed him to a leather-seller. In this capacity he was noticed for his industry, although he was far from contented with his position; and, in the year 1821, he found an opportunity of presenting a poem, in which he expressed his sentiments and wishes, to the Kin? of Prussia. Tlie kins; recognised the talent of tlie struggling youth, and opened to him a earner in accordance with his inclination. In tho year 1827 he proceeded as a missionary to Batavia, and, at a later period, to liintansr, where he applied himself with such assiduity to the study of Chinese, that in the space of two years he knew it well enough to preach in it. In December, 1831, he went to Macao, where he established a school for Chinese children, and commenced his translation of the Bible into Chinese. He founded, in con- junction with Morrison, a Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in China, and edited a monthly Chinese magazine, in which he endeavoured to interest the people upon history, geography, and literature. In 1832 and 18a3 he penetrated as far as the province of Po-Kien. Gutzlqjf's Travels have made us acquainted with several very important facts con- nected with the different Chinese dialects, and are also of great worth in other scientific points of vi"\v. They are especially useful in enabling us to form a correct opinion as to the merits of the works that have lately appeared on China; and every one must acknow- ledge his rare talent, must value his hnmoveable fixedness of purpose, and must admire his zealous perseverance in the cause of science, and his unshaken belief in the principles of his religion. (Dr. Gutzlnff died in November, 1851.) 92 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOU^D THE WORLD. Indian ink are used for writing, the writing itself extending- down the paper from right to left. I had not been above a few days in Victoria before I had an oppor- tunity of proceeding to Canton on board a small Chinese junk. A gentleman of the name of Pustan, who is settled as a merchant here, and whom I found excessively kind, endeavoured very earnestly to dissuade me from trusting myself among the Chinese without any protector, and advised me either to take a boat for myself or a place in the steamer; but both these means were too dear for my small finances, since either would have cost twelve dollars, whereas a pas- sage in the junk was only three. I must also add, that the appear- ance and behaviour of the Chinese did not inspire me with the slightest apprehension. I looked to the priming of my pistols, and embarked very tranquilly on the evening of the 12th July. A heavy fall of rain, and the approach of night, soon obliged me to seek the interior of the vessel, where I passed my time in observing my Chinese fellow-travellers. The company were, it is true, not very select, but behaved with great propriety, so that there was nothing which could prevent my remaining among them. Some were playing at dominoes, while others were extracting most horrible sounds from a sort of mandolin with three strings ; all, however, were smoking, chatting, and drink- ing tea, without sugar, from little saucers. I, too, had this celestial drink offered to me on all sides. Every Chinese, rich or poor, drinks neither pure water nor spirituous liquors, but invariably indulges in weak tea with no sugar. At a late hour in the evening I retired to my cabin, the roof of which, not being completely waterproof, let in certain very unwel- come proofs that it was raining outside. The captain no sooner remarked this than he assigned me another place, where I found myself in the company of two Chinese women, busily engaged in smoking out of pipes with bowls no bigger than thimbles, and in consequence they could not take more than four or five puffs without being obliged to fill their pipes afresh. They soon remarked that I had no stool for my head. They offered me one of theirs, and would not be satisfied until I accepted it. It is a Chinese custom to use, instead of pillows, little stools of bamboo or strong pasteboard. They are not stuffed, but are rounded at the top, and are about eight inches high, and from one to three feet long. They are far more comfortable than would at first be imagined. 13th July. On hurrying up on deck early in the morning to view the mouth of the Si-Kiang, or Tigris, I found that we had already passed it, and were a long way up the river. I saw it, however, sub- sequently, on my return from Canton to Hong-Kong. The Si-Kiang, which is one of the principal rivers of China, and which, at a short distance before entering the sea, is eight nautical miles broad, is so contracted by hills and rocks at its mouth, that it loses one half of its breadth. The surrounding country is fine, and a few fortifications on the summits of some of the hills give it rather a romantic appearance. Near Hoo-man, or Whampoa, the stream divides into several VOYAGE ON BOAED A CHINESE JUNK. 93 branches ; that which flows to Canton being* called the Pearl stream. Although Whampoa of itself is an insignificant place, it is worthy of note, as being the spot where, from the shallowness of the water, all deeply-laden ships are obliged to anchor. Immense plantations of rice, skirted by bananas and other fruit- trees, extend along the banks of the Pearl stream. The trees are sometimes prettily arranged in alleys, but are planted far less for ornament than for use. Eice always requires a great deal of mois- ture, and the trees are planted in order to impart a greater degree of solidity to the soil, and also to prevent the possibility of its being washed away by the force of the stream. Pretty little country houses, of the genuine Chinese pattern, with their sloping, pointed, indented roofs, and their coloured tiles inlaid with different hues, were scattered here and there, under groups of shady trees, while pagodas (called Tas) of various styles, and from three to nine stories high, raised their heads on little eminences in the neighbourhood of the villages, and attracted attention at a great distance. A number of fortifications, which, however, look more like roofless houses than anything else, protect the stream. For miles below Canton the villages follow one another in quick succession. They are mostly composed of miserable huts, built for the most part on piles driven into the river, and before them lie innu- merable boats, which also serve as dwellings. The nearer we approached Canton, the busier became the scene on the river, and the greater the number of ships and inhabited boats. I saw some junks of most extraordinary shape, having poops that hung far over the water, and provided with large windows and galleries, and covered in with a roof, like a house. These vessels are often of immense size, and of a thousand tons burden. I also saw some Chinese men-of-war, flat, broad, and long, and mounting twenty or thirty cannons.* Another object of interest was the mandarins' boats, with their painted sides, doors, and windows, their carved galleries, and pretty little silk flags, giving them the appearance of the most charming houses ; but what delighted me most was the flower-boats, with their upper galleries ornamented with flowers, garlands, and arabesques. A large apartment and a few cabinets, into which the interior is divided, are reached through doors and windows which have almost a Gothic appearance. Mirrors and silk hangings adorn the walls, while glass chandeliers and coloured paper lanterns, between which swing lovely little baskets with fresh flowers, complete the magic scene. These flower- boats are always stationary, and are frequented by the Chinese as places of amusement, both by day and night. Plays are acted here, and ballets and conjuring performed. Women, with the exception of a certain class, do not frequent these places ; Euro- peans are not exactly prevented from entering them, but are exposed, especially in the present unfavourable state of public opinion, to insult and even injury. In addition to these extraordinary vessels, let the reader picture All large vessels have two painted eyes put info the prow; with these, as the Chinese believe, they are better able to find their way. 94 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. to himself thousands of small hoats (schampans), some at anchor, some crossing and passing 1 in all directions, with fishermen casting their nets, and men and children amusing themselves by swimming-, and he will have some idea of the scene I witnessed. I often could not avoid turning* away with terror, at seeing the little children playing 1 and rolling about upon the narrow boats: I expected every instant that one or other of them would certainly fall overboard. Some parents are cautious enough to fasten hollow gourds, or blad- ders with air, on their children's backs, until they are six years old, so as to prevent them sinking so quickly, if they should happen to tumble into the water. All these multifarious occupations this ceaseless activity, this never-ending bustle, form so peculiar a feature, that it is hardly possible for a person who has not been an eyewitness to obtain a correct idea of it. It is only during the last few years that we European women have been allowed to visit or remain in the factories at Canton. I left the vessel without any apprehension ; but first J had to consider how I should find my way to the house of a gentleman named Agassiz, for whom I had brought letters of recommendation. I explained to the captain, by signs, that I had no money with me, and that he must act as my guide to the factory, where I would pay him. He soon understood me, and conducted me to the place, and the Europeans there showed me the particular house I wanted. On seeing me arrive, and hearing the manner in which I had travelled, arid the way that I had walked from the vessel to his house, Mr. Agassiz was extremely surprised, and would hardly credit that I had met with no difficulties or injury. From him I learned what risks I, as a woman, had run in traversing the streets of Ciinton, with no escort but a Chinese guide. Such a thing had never occurred before, and Mr. Agassiz assured me that I might esteem myself as exceedingly fortunate in not having been insulted by the people in the grossest manner, or even stoned. Had this been the case, he told me that my guide would have immediately taken to flight, and abandoned me to my fate. I had certainly remarked, on my way from the vessel to the fac- tory, that both old and young turned back to look after me, and that they hooted and pointed at me with their fingers; the people ran out of the booths, and gradually formed a crowd at my heels. I had, however, no alternative but to preserve my countenance ; I walked, therefore, calmly on, and perhaps it is to the very fact of my mani- festing no fear that I escaped unmolested. I had not intended to stop long in Canton, as, since the last war between the English and Chinese, Europeans are obliged to be more careful than ever how they show themselves in public. This hatred is more especially directed against women, as it is declared in one of the Chinese prophecies that a woman will some day or other conquer the Celestial Empire. On account of this I entertained but slight hopes of seeing- anything here, and thought of proceeding directly to the port of Shanghai, in the north of China, where, as I was informed, it was far easier to obtain access both among the nobility and lower CASTOR MODE OF LIFE PURSUED BY EUROPEANS. 95 classes. Fortunately, however, I made the acquaintance of a German gentleman, Herr von Carlowitz, who had been settled for some time in Canton. He offered, in the kindest manner, to act as my Mentor, on condition that I should arm myself with patience until the mail from Europe, which was expected in a few days, had come in.* At such times the merchants are so busy and excited, that they have no leisure to think of anything but their correspondence. I was, there- fore, obliged to wait, not only until the steamer had arrived, but until it had left again, which it did not do until a week had elapsed- I have to thank Mr. Agassiz that the time did not han^- heavily upon my hands ; I was most kindly and hospitably entertained, and enjoyed the opportunity of noting the mode of life of those Europeans who have settled in the country. Very few take their families with them to China, and least of all to Canton, where both women and children are closely imprisoned in their houses, which they can only leave in a well-closed litter. Besides this, everything is so dear, that living in London is cheap in comparison. Lodgings of six rooms, with a kitchen, cost about 700 or 800 dollars a year (140 or 160). A man-servant receives from four to eight dollars a month, and female servants nine or ten dollars, as Chinese women will not wait upon a European, unless greatly overpaid. In addition to all this, there is a custom prevalent here of having a separate person for each branch of household duty, which renders a large number of servants indispensable. A family of only four persons requires at least eleven or twelve domestics, if not more. In the first place, every member of the family must have an attendant, especially for his or her use ; then there is a man-cook, a number of nursery-maids, and several coolies for the more menial duties, such as cleaning the rooms, carrying the wood and water, and so forth. In spite of this number of servants, the attendance is frequently very ba^d ; for, if one or other of them happens to be out, and his services are required, his master must wait until he returns, as no servant could ever be prevailed upon to do another's duty. At the head of the whole household is the comprador, who is a kind of major-domo. To his care are confided all the plate, furniture, linen, and other effects ; he engages all the servants, provides for their board, and anything 1 else they may require, and answers for their good conduct, deducting, however, two dollars a month from the wages of each, in return for his services. He makes all the purchases, and settles all the bills, giving in the sum total at the end of the month, without descending into the items. Besides these domestic duties, the comprador is also entrusted with the money belonging to his master's firm ; hundreds of thousands of dollars pass through his hands, and he is responsible for the genuineness of every one. He has persons in his own. employment who pay and receive all moneys, and who examine and test every separate coin witli the most marvellous rapidity. They take a whole handful of dollars at a time, and toss them up separately with the finger and thumb : this enables them to determine whether * There is only one mail a month from Europe. 96 A WOMAN'S JOUEXEY EOTJND THE WOELD. eacli " rings" properly, and on the coin falling into their hand again, reversed, they examine the second side with a glance. A few hours are sufficient to pass several thousand dollars in review : and this minute inspection is very necessary, on account of the number of false dollars made by the Chinese. Each piece of money is then stamped with the peculiar mark of the firm, as a guarantee of its genuineness, so that it at last becomes exceedingly thin and broad, and frequently falls to bits ; no loss is, however, occasioned by this, as the amount is always reckoned by weight. Besides dollars, little bars of pure unstamped silver are used as a circulating medium ; small portions, varying in size, being cut off them, according to the sum required. The couniing-house is situated on the ground floor, in the comprador's room. The Europeans have nothing to do with the money, and, in fact, never even carry any for their private use. The comprador has no fixed salary, but receives a stated per centage upon all business transactions : his per-centage upon the household expenses is not fixed, but is not, on that account, less certain. On the whole, these compradors are very trustworthy : they pay down a certain sum, as caution-money, to some mandarin, and the latter answers for them. The following is a tolerably correct account of the mode of life pursued by the Europeans settled here. As soon as they are up, and have drunk a cup of tea in their bed-room, they take a cold bath. A little after 9 o'clock they breakfast upon fried fish or cutlets, cold roast meat, boiled eggs, tea, and bread and butter. Every one then proceeds to his business till dinner-time, which is generally 4 o'clock. The dinner is composed of turtle-soup, curry, roast meat, hashes, and pastry. All the dishes, with the exception of the curry, are prepared after the English fashion, although the cooks are Chinese. For dessert there is cheese, with fruit ; such as pine-apples, long- yen, mangoes, and lytchi. The Chinese affirm that the latter is the finest fruit in the whole world. It is about the size of a nut, with a brown verrucous outside ; the edible part is white and tender, and the kernel black. Long-yen is somewhat smaller, but is also white and tender, though the taste is rather watery. Neither ot these fruits struck me as very good. I do not think the pine-apples are so sweet, or possessed ot that aromatic fragrance which distin- guishes those raised in our European greenhouses, although they are much larger. Portuguese wines and English beer are the usual drinks ice, broken into small pieces, and covered up with a cloth, is offered with each. The ice is rather a costly article, as it has to be brought from. North America. In the evening tea is served up. During meal-times, a large punkah is employed to diffuse an agreeable degree of coolness through the apartment. The punkah is alarge frame, from eight to ten feet long, and three feet high, covered with white Indian cloth, and fastened to the ceiling. A rope com- municates, through the wall, like a bell-pull, with the next room, or the ground floor, where a servant is stationed to keep it constantly in motion, and thus maintain a pleasing draught. As may be seen from what I have said, the living here is very THE CHINESE MAKERS A^TD CUSTOMS. 97 dear for Europeans. The expense of keeping a house may be reckoned at 30,000 francs (6,000 dollars 1,200) at the lowest; a very considerable sum, when we reflect how little it procures, neither including a carriage nor horses. There is nothing in the way of amusement, or places of public recreation ; the only pleasure many gentlemen indulge in, is keeping a boat, for which they pay 28s. a month, or they walk in the evenings in a small garden which the European inhabitants have laid out at their own cost. This garden faces the factory, surrounded on three sides by a wall, and on the fourth washed by the Pearl stream. The living of the Chinese population, on the contrary, costs very little ; 60 cash, 1,200 of which make a dollar (4.?.), may be reckoned a very liberal daily allowance for each man. As a natural consequence, wages are extremely low ; a boat, for instance, may be hired for half a dollar (2s.) a day, and on this income, a whole family of from six: to eight persons will often exist. It is true, the Chinese are not too particular in their food ; they eat dogs, cats, mice, and rats, the in- testines of birds, and the blood of every animal, and I was even assured that caterpillars and worms formed part of their diet. Their principal dish, however, is rice, which is not only employed by them in the composition of their various dishes, but supplies the place of bread. It is exceedingly cheap ; the pekul, which is equal to ItMlbs. English avoirdupois, costing* from one dollar and three-quarters to two dollars and a half. The costume of both sexes, among the lower orders, consists of broad trousers and long upper garment?, and is remarkable for its excessive filth. The Chinaman is an enemy of baths and washing ; he wears no shirt, and does not discard his trousers until they actually fall off his body. The men's upper garments reach a little below the knee, and the women's somewhat lower. They are made of nankeen, or dark blue, brown, or black silk. During the cold season, both men and women wear one summer-garment over the other, and keep the whole together with a girdle ; during the great heat, however, they allow their garments to flutter unconstrained about their body. All the men have their heads shaved, with the exception of a small patch at the back, the hair on which is carefully cultivated and plaited into a cue. The thicker and longer this cue is, the prouder is its owner; false hair and black ribbon are consequently worked up in it, so that it often reaches down to the ankles. During work it is twisted round the neck, but, on the owner entering a room, it is let down again, as it would be against all the laws of etiquette and politeness for a person to make his appearance with his cue twisted up. The women wear all their hair, which they comb entirely back off their forehead, and fasten it in most artistic plaits to the head ; they spend a great deal of time in the process, but, when their hair is once dressed, it does not require to be touched for a whole week. Both men and women sometimes go about with no covering at all on their head; sometimes they wear hats made of thin bamboo, and very frequently three feet in diameter ; these keep off both sun and rain, and are exceedingly durable. On their feet they wear sewed stockings and shoes, formed of 98 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. black silk, or some material like worsted ; the soles, which are more than an inch thick, are made up of layers of strong- pasteboard or felt- pasted together. The poor people go barefooted. The houses of the lower classes are miserable hovels, built of wood or brick. The internal arrangements are very wretched : the whole furniture consists of a worthless table, a few chairs, and two or three bamboo-mats, stools for the head, and old counterpanes ; yet, with this poverty, there are always sure to be some pots of flowers. The cheapest mode of living is on board a boat. The husband goes on shore to his work, and leaves his wife to make a trifle by ferrying 1 persons over, or letting" out the boat to pleasure parties. One half the boat belongs to the family themselves, and the other half to the persons to whom they let it ; and although there is not much room 7 the whole boat measuring scarcely twenty-five feet in length, the greatest order and cleanliness is everywhere apparent, as each single plank on board is thoroughly scrubbed and washed every morning 1 . Great ingenuity is displayed in turning every inch of space on board these small craft to advantage, and the dexterity is actually pushed so far as to rind room for a tiny domestic altar. During the day all the cookery and washing is done, and, though at the latter process there is no want of little children, the temporary tenant of the boat does not suifer the least annoyance ; nothing offensive meets his eye ; and, at the most, he merely hears at rare intervals the whining voice of some poor little wretch. The youngest child is generally tied on its mother's back while she steers ; the elder children, too, have sometimes similar burdens, but jump and climb about without the least considera- tion for them. It has often grieved me to the heart to see the head of an infant scarcely born, thrown from one side to the other with each movement of the child that was carrying it, or the sun darting so- fiercely on the poor little creature, who was completely exposed to its rays, that it could hardly open its eyes. For those who have not been themselves witnesses of the fact, it is almost impossible to form an idea of the indigence and poverty of a Chinese boat-family. The Chinese are accused of killing numbers of their new-born or weakly children. They are said to suffocate them immediately after their birth, and then throw them into the river, or expose them in the streets by far the most horrible proceeding of the two, on account of the number of swine and houseless dogs, who fall upon and vora- ciously devour their prey. The most frequent victims are the female infants, as parents esteem themselves fortunate in possessing a large number of male children, the latter being bound to support them in their old age ; the eldest son, in fact, should the father die, is obliged to take his place, and provide for his brothers and sisters, who, on their part, are bound to yield implicit obedience, and show him the greatest respect. These laws are very strictly observed, and any one infringing them is punished with death. The Chinese consider it a great honour to be a grandfather, and every man who is fortunate enough to be one wears a moustache, as the distinctive sign of his good luck. These thin grey moustaches arc the more conspicuous, as the young men not only wear none, but, as a general rule, grow no beard at all. THE CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 99 With regard to the social manners and customs of the Chinese, I am only able to mention a few, as it is exceedingly difficult, and, in fact, almost impossible, for a foreigner to become acquainted with them. I endeavoured to see as much as I could, and mixed on every possible opportunity among the people, afterwards writing down a true account of what I had seen. On going out one morning I met more than fifteen prisoners, all with a wooden yoke (can-gue) about their necks, being led through the streets. This yoke is composed of two large pieces of wood, fitting into one another, and having from one to three holes in them; through these holes the head, and one or both hands, are stuck, in proportion to the importance of the offence. A yoke of this description varies in weight from fifty to a hundred pounds, and presses so heavily upon the neck and shoulders of the poor wretch who bears it, that he is unable to convey his victuals to his mouth himself, and is compelled to wait till some compassionate soul feeds him. This punishment lasts from a few days to several months ; in the latter case the prisoner generally dies. Another description of punishment is the bastinado with the bamboo, which, when applied to the more tender parts of the body, very often, as early as the fifteenth blow, frees its victim for ever from all his earthly sufferings. Other more severe punishments, which in no way yield the palm to those of the Holy Inquisition, consist in flaying the prisoner alive, crushing the limbs, cutting the sinews out of his feet, and so on. Their modes of carrying out the sentence of death appear to be mild in comparison, and are generally confined to strangling and decapitation, although, as I was informed, in certain extraordinary cases, the prisoner is executed by being sawed in two, or left to die of starvation. In the first case, the unhappy victim is made fast between two planks, and sawed in two longitudinally, beginning with the head; and, in the second, he is cither buried up to his head in the ground, and thus left to perish of want, or else is fastened in one of the wooden yokes I have described, while his food is gradually reduced in quantity every day, until at last it consists of only a few grains of rice. In spite of the horrible and cruel nature of these punishments, it is said that individuals are found ready, for a sum of money, to undergo them all, death even included, instead of the person condemned. In the year 1846, 4,000 people were beheaded at Canton. It is true that they were the criminals of two provinces, which together numbered a population of 9,000,000 souls, but the number is still hor- rible to contemplate. Is it possible that there could really be so many who should be looked upon as criminals or are persona sentenced to death for a mere nothing or are both these suppositions true ? I once happened to go near the place of execution, and to my horror beheld a long row of still bleeding heads exposed upon high poles. The relations enjoy the privilege of carrying away and inter- ring th bodies. Thtre are several different religions in China, the most prevalent being Buddhism. It is marked by great superstition and idolatry, and is mostly confined to the lower classes. The most natural is that H 100 A WOMAN'S JOUENEY BOUND THE of the wise Confucius, which is said to be the religion of the court the public functionaries, the scholars, and educated classes. The population of China is composed of a great many very dif- ferent races ; unfortunately, I am unable to describe their several characteristics, as my stay in China, was far too short. The people I saw in Canton, Hong-Ken :, and Macao, are of middling stature. Their complexion varies with their occupation: the peasants and labourers are rather suriburt ; rich people and ladies, white. Their faces are flat, broad, and ugly ; their eyes are narrow, rather obliquely placed, and far apart ; their noses broad, and their mouths large. Their lingers, I observed, were in many cases extremely long and thin ; only the rich (of both .sexes) allow their nails to grow to an extraordinary length, as a proof that they are not obliged, like their poorer brethren, to gain their livelihood by manual labour. These aristocratic nails are generally half an inch long, though I saw one man whose nails were quite an inch in length, but only on his left hand. With this hand it was impossible for him to raise any flat object, except by laying his hand flat upon it, and catching hold of it between his fingers. The women of the higher classes are generally inclined to cor- pulency, a quality which is highly esteemed not in women alone, but in men as well. Although I had heard a great deal about the small feet of Chinese women, I was greatly astonished at their appearance. Through the kind assistance of a missionary's lady (Mrs. Bait) I was enabled to behold one of these small feet in naturd. Four of the toes were bent under the sole of the foot, to which they were firmly pressed, and with which they appeared to be grown together ; the great toe was alone left in its normal state. The fore part of the foot had been so compressed with strong broad bandages, that, instead of expanding in length and breadth, it had shot upwards, and formed a large lump at the instep, where it made part and parcel of the leg : the lower portion of the foot was scarcely four inches long, and an inch and a half broad. The feet are always swathed in white linen or silk, bound round with silk bandages, and stuifed into pretty little shoes with very high heels. To my astonishment these deformed beings tripped about, as if in defiance of us broad-footed creatures, with tolerable ease, the only difference in their gait being that they waddled like geese ; they even ran up and down stairs without the aid of a stick. The only persons exempt from this Chinese method of improving their beauty are girls of the lowest class that is, those who live iii boats ; in families of rank they are all subject to the same fate ; while in those of the middle classes, as a general rule, it is limited to the eldest daughter. The worth of a bride is reckoned by the smallness of her feet. This process of mutilation is not commenced immediately the child is born, but is deferred until the end of the first, or sometimes even third, year, nor is. the foot after the operation forced into an iron shoe, as many have affirmed, but merely firmly compressed with bandages. The religion of the Chinese allows them to have a number of wives, but in this respect they are far behind the Mahornedans. The CHINESE 1TAK.VEH3 AXD CUSTOMS. 101 richest have rarely more than from six to twelve, while poor persons consent themselves with one. I visited during my stay in Canton as many workshops of the different artists as I could. My first visit was to the most celebrated painters, and I must frankly oivn that the vividness and splendour of their colouring- struck me exceedingly. These qualities are gene- rally ascribed to the rice paper on which they paint, and \vhich is of the greatest possible tine-ness, and as white as milk. The paintings upon linen and ivory differ very little, as far as the colouring is concerned, from those of our European artists, and the difference is therefore the more visible in their composition and per- spective, which, with the Chinese, are yet in a state of infancy. This is more especially true of perspective. The figures and objects in the background rival in size and brilliancy those in front, while rivers or seas float in the place which should be occupied by clouds. On the other hand, the native artists can copy admirably, * and even take likenesses. 1 saw some portraits so strikingly well drawn, and admirably coloured, that first-rate European artists need not have been ashamed to own thci.i. The Chinese possess marvellous skill in carving ivory, tortoise- shell, and wood. Among the superior black lacquered articles, especially with flat or nu.-ed gold ornaments, I observed some which were worthy of a place in the most valuable collections of objects of vertu. I saw some small work-tables worth at least 600 dollars (r20). The baskets and carpets, n;ade from the bamboo, arc also remarkably beautiful. They are, however, far behindhand in gold or silver work, which is generally heavy and tasteless ; but then, again, they have attained great celebrity by their porcelain, which is remarkable not only for its size, but tor its transparency. It is true that vases and other vessels four feet high are neither light nor transparent; but cups and other small objects c ai only be compared to glass for tine ness and transparency. The colours on them are very vivid, but the drawings very stiff and bad. *In the manufacture of silks and crape shawls the Chinese are unsurpassable; the latter especially, in beauty, tastefulness, and thickness, are far preferable to those made in England or France. The knowledge of music, on the other hand, is so little developed, that our good friends of the Celestial Empire might almost, in this re- spect, be compared to savages not that they have no instruments, but they do not know how to use them. They possess violins, guitars, lutes (all with strings or wires), dulcimers, wind instruments, ordinary and kettle drums, and cymbals, but areneither skilled in coijapositioiijirielody, nor execution. They scratch, scrape, and thump upon their instruments in such a manner, as to produce the finest marrowbone-and-cleaver kind of music imaginable. During my excursions up and down the JVari stream, 1 had frequent opp<;j tm;i; ie> (if hearing artistic perform- ances: of this description on board the uumdarin and flower boats. In all kinds of deception the Chinese are gre::t adepts, and de- cidedly more than a match for any Europeans. They have not the * When they copy a -ilctare they divide it, like cur own artists, into square?. H.XJ 102 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. slightest sense of honour, and, if you detect them, content themselves with saying, "You are more clever or cunning than I.' 7 I was told that when they have any live stock, such as calves or pig's, for sale, they compel them, as they are disposed of by weight, to swallow stones or large quantities of water. They also know how to blow out and dress stale poultry, so as to make it look quite fresh and plump. But it is not the lower classes alone that indulge in cheating and fraud ; these agreeable qualities are shnred by the highest function- aries. It is a well-known fact, for instance, that there are nowhere so many pirates as in the Chinese Sea, especially in the vicinity of Canton; yet no measures are taken to punish or extirpate them, simply because the mandarins do not think it beneath their dignity to secretly share in the profits. For example, though the opium trade is forbidden, so much of this drug is smuggled in every year, that it is said to exceed in value that of all the tea exported in the same period. * The merchants enter into a private understanding with the officers and mandarins, agreeing to give them a certain sum for every pikul, and it is no rare occurrence for a mandarin to land whole cargoes under the protection of his own flag. In like manner there is said to be on one of the islands near Hong- Kong a very extensive manufactory of false money, which is allowed to be carried on without any interruption, as it pays a tribute to the public functionaries and mandarins. A short time ago a number of pirate vessels that had ventured too near Canton were shot into and sunk, the crews lost, and their bader taken. The owners of the ves- sels petitioned the government to set the prisoners free, and threatened, in case of a refusal, to make extensive disclosures. Every one was convinced that a sum of money accompanied this threatening letter, for shortly after it was reported that the prisoners had escaped. I myself was witness of a circumstance in Canton which caused me great uneasiness, and was a pretty good proof of the helplessness or apathy of the Chinese government. On the 8th of August, Mr. Agassiz set out with a friend, intending to return the same evening. I way left at home alone with the Chinese servants. Mr. Agassiz did not return at the appointed time. At last, about 1 o'clock the next morning, I suddenly heard voices in loud conversation, and a violent knocking at the street door. I at first supposed it to be Mr. Agassiz, and felt much surprise at the late hour of his arrival, but I soon perceived that the disturbance was not in our house, but in that on the opposite side of the way. It is asy to fall into an error of this description, as the houses are situated quite close to each other, and windows are left open day and night. I heard voices exclaim, " Get up, dress ! " and then, "It 'is horrible shocking good henvens ! where did it happen ?" I sprang quickly out of bed and huddled on my gown, thinking either that a fire had broken out in some house or other, or that the people had risen in insurrection, f * A 2)ikul of raw opium is worth about 600 dollars (120). f I had more especially reason to fear this latter circumstance, as the people had Riven out that on the 12ih or 13ih of August, nt the latest, there would be a revolution, in which all the Europeans would lose their lives. My state of mind may easily be ima- gined, Ieft> as I was, entirely alone with the Chinese servants. MURDER OF M. VAUCHEE. 103 Seeing 1 a gentleman at one of the windows, I called and inquired of him what was the matter. He told me hurriedly that intelligence had just arrived that two of fyis friends who were proceeding" to Hong- Kong (Whampoa lay on the road) had been attacked by pirates, and that one was killed and the other wounded. He then immediately retired, so that I was unable to learn the name of the unfortunate victim, and was left all night a prey to the greatest anxiety, lest it should be Mr. Agassiz. Fortunately, this at least was not the case, as Mr. Agassiz returned at 5 o'clock in the morning. I then learned that this misfortune had happened to Monsieur Vauchee, a Swiss gentleman, who had passed many an evening in our house. On the very day of his departure I met him at a neighbour's, where we had all been in the highest spirits, singing' songs and quartettes. At 9 o'clock he went on board the boat, set off at'lO, and a quarter of an hour afterwards, in the mid^t of thousands of schampans and other craft, met his trigical end. Monsieur Vauchee had intended to proceed to Hong-Kong, and there embark on board a larger vessel for Shanghai ;* he took witk him Swiss watches to the value of 40,000 francs (1,600), and, in speaking to a friend, congratulated himself on the cautious manner he had packed them up, without letting- his servants know anything* about it. This, however, could not have been the case ; and, as the pirates have spies among 1 the servants in every house, they were unfortunately but too well acquainted with the circumstance. During 1 my stay in Canton, the house of a European was pulled down by the populace, because it stood upon a piece of ground which, though Europeans were allowed to occupy, they had not hitherto built upon. In this manner there was hardly a day that we did not hear of acts of violence and mischief, so that we were in a continual state of apprehension, more especially as the report of the near approach of a revolution, in which all the Europeans were to perish, was every- where bruited about. Many of the merchants had made every preparation for instant flight, and muskets, pistols, and swords were neatly arranged ready for use in most of the counting-houses. Luckily, the time fixed for the revolution passed over without the populace fulfilling its threats. The Chinese are cowardly in the highest degree ; they talk very large when they are certain they have nothing to fear. For instance, they are always ready to stone, or even kill, a few defenceless indi- viduals, but if they have to fear any opposition they are sure not to commence the attack. I believe that a dozen good European soldiers would put to flight more than a hundred Chinese. I myself never met with a more dastardly, false, and, at the same time, cruel race in my life ; one proof of this is, that their greatest pleasure consists in torturing animals. In spite of the unfavourable disposition of the populace, I ventured out a good deal. Herr von Carlowitz was untiring 1 in his kindness to me, and accompanied me everywhere, exposing himself to many dangers on my account, and beariiig patiently the insults of the popu- * One of the ports which were opened to the English in 1842. 104 A WOMAN'S JOUEXEY BOUND THE WOULD. lace, who followed at our heels, and loudly expressed their indignation at the boldness of the European women in thus appearing inTpublic. Through his assistance I saw more than any woman ever yet saw in China. Our first excursion was to the celebrated Temple of Honan, which is said to be one of the finest in China. This temple is surrounded by numerous out-buildings, and a large garden enclosed with a high wall. You first enter a large fore-court, at the extremity of which a colossal gateway leads into the inner courts. Under the archway of this portico are two War Gods, each eighteen feet high, in menacing' attitudes, and with horribly distorted features. They are placed there to prevent evil spirits from entering, A second similar portico, under which are the four Celestial lungs, leads into the inmost court, where the principal temple is situated. The interior of the temple is 100 feet, in length, and 100 feet in breadth. The fiat roof, from which hang a number of glass chande- liers, lamps, artificial flowers, and silk "ribbons, is supported upon several rows of wooden pillars, while the multitude of statues, altars, flower-pots, censers, candelabra, candlesticks, and other ornaments, involuntarily suggest to the mind of the spectator the decoration of a Roman Catholic church. In the foreground are three altars, and behind these three statues, representing the God Buddha in three different aspects : the past, the present, and the future. These figures, which are in a sitting posture, are of colossal dimensions. We happened to visit; the temple just as service was being per- formed. It was a kind of mass for the dead, which a mandarin had ordered for his deceased wife. At the right and left altars were the priests, whose garments and gesticulations also resembled those of the Roman Catholics. At the middle altar was the mandarin, piously engaged in prayer, while two stood beside him, fanning him with large fans.* He frequently kissed the ground, and, every time he did so, three wax tapers were presented to him, which he first elevated in the air, and then gave to one of the priests, who placed them before a statue of Buddha, but without lighting them. The music was performed by three men, one of whom twanged a stringed instrument, while the second struck a metal globe, and the third played the flute. Besides the principal temple, there are various smaller ones, and halls, all adorned with statues of gods. Especial honour is paid to the twenty-four Gods of Pity, and to Kwantbotse, a demi-god of War. Many of the former have four, six, and even eight arms. All these divinities, Buddha himself not excepted, are made of wood, gilt over, and painted with glaring colours. In the Temple of Mercy we met with an adventure which was nearly attended with unpleasant consequence; 5 . A priest, or bonze, handed us some little tapers for us to light and offer to his divinity. * Tliis costume was composed of a, wine over-parment reaching to the knees and fur- nished with flowing arms, and, underneath this, trousers of white silk. The upper garment was made of brocade of very vivid colours and an extraordinary pattern. Ou his brvast he wore two birds :is marks of his rank, and n necklace of precious stones. His shoes, composed of black silk, wen- turn d p into points at the extremities. On his head he wore a conical vrlvot hat with a gilt button. THE TEMPLE OF HONAN. 105 Herr von Carlowitz and myself had already got the tapers in our hands, and were quite willing to afford him this gratification, when an American missionary, who was with us, tore the tapers from our grasp, and indignantly'returned them to the priest, saying, that what we were about to do was an act of idolatry. The priest took the matter very seriously, and, instantly closing- the doors, called his companions, who hurried in from all sides, and abused us in the most violent and vociferous fashion, pressing- closer every instant. It was with the greatest difficulty that we succeeded in fighting- our way to the door, and thus making our escape. After this little fray, our guide conducted us to the dwelling of the Holy Pigs ! * A beautiful stone hall is set apart for their use, which hall these remarkable divinities fill, in spite of all the care bestowed on them, with so horrible a stench, that it is impossible to approach them without holding one's nose. They are taken care of and fed until death summons them awa}'. When we visited the place there were a pair of these fortunate beings, and their number rarely exceeds three couples. 1 was better pleased with the residence of a bonze which adjoined this holy spot. It consisted of a sitting-room and bed-room merely, but was very comfortably and elegantly fitted up. The walls of the sitting-room were ornamented with carved wood-work, and the furni- ture was old-fashioned and pleasing : at the back of the apartment, which was nagged, stood a small altar. We here saw an opium-cater, lying stretched out upon a mat on the floor. At his side was a cup of tea, with some fruit and a little lamp, besides several pipes, with bowls that were smaller than a thimble. On our entrance he was just inhaling the intoxicating 1 smoke from one of them. It is said ttiat some of the Chinese opium- smokers consume from twenty to thirty grains a day. As he was not altogether unconscious of our presence, he managed to raise him- self, laid by his pipe, and dragged himself to a chair. His eyes were fixed and staring, and his face deadly pale, presenting- altogether a most pitiable and wretched spectacle. Last of all, w r e were conducted to the garden, where the bonzes, at their death, are burnt a particular mark of distinction, as all other people are interred. A simple mausoleum, about thirty feet square, and a few small private monuments, were all that was to be seen. J\ T one of them had any pretensions to elegance, being built of the simplest masonry. In the former of these edifices are preserved the bones of the persons who have been burnt, and among them are also buried the rich Chinese, whose heirs pay pretty handsomely to obtain such an honour for them. At a little distance stands a small tower, eight feet in diameter and eighteen in height, with a small pit;, where a fire can be kindled, in the floor. Over this pit is an arm- chair, to which the deceased bonze is fastened in full costume. Logs and dry brushwood are disposed all round, and the whole is set fire to, and the doors closed. In an hour they are again opened, the ashes .strewed around the tower, and the bone's preserved until the period for opening the mausoleum, which is only once every year. * The reader must know that these s;nimr>l< are looked upon as particularly sscred. 106 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. A striking- feature in the garden is the beautiful water-rose, or lotus-flower (nymphcea nelumbo), which was originally a native of China. The Chinese admire this flower so much, that they have ponds dug 1 in their gardens expressly for it. It is about six 'inches in diameter, and generally white very rarely pale red. The seeds resemble in size and taste those of the hazel ; and the roots, when cooked, are said to taste like artichokes. There are more than a hundred bonzes who reside in the Temple of Honan. In their ordinary dress they differ nothing from the common Chinamen, the only means of recognising- them being by their heads, which are entirely shaved. Neither these nor any other priests can boast, as I was told, of being- in the least respected by the people. Our second excursion was to the Half-way Pagoda, so called by the English from its lying half "way between Canton and Whampoa. We went up the Pearl stream to it. It stands upon a small eminence near a village, in the midst of immense field? of rice, and is composed of nine stories, 170 feet high. Its circumference is not very con- siderable, but nearly the same all the way up, which gives it the look of a tower. I was informed that this pagoda was formerly one of the most celebrated in China ; but it has long ceased to be used. The interior was completely empty ; there were neither statues nor any other ornaments ; nor were there any floors to prevent the eye from seeing to the very top. On the outside, small balconies without rail- ings surround each story, to which access is gained by steep and narrow flights of stairs. These projecting balconies produce a very fine eifect, being built of coloured bricks, very artistically laid, and faced with variegated tiles. These bricks are placed in rows, with their points jutting obliquely outwards, so that the points project about four inches over one another. At a distance the work seems as if it were half pierced through, and, from the beautiful colours and fineness of the tiles, a person might easily mistake the entire mass for porcelain. While we were viewing the pagoda, the whole population of the village had assembled round about us, and, as they behaved with tolerable quietness, we determined on paying a visit to the village itself. The houses, or rather huts, were small and built of brick, and, with the exception of their flat roofs, presented nothing peculiar. The rooms did not possess a ceiling of their own, but were simply covered by the roof; the floor was formed of earth closely pressed together, and the internal walls consisted partly of bamboo-mats. What little furniture there was, was exceedingly dirty. About the middle of the village was a small temple, with a few lamps burning dimly before the principal divinity. What struck me most was the quantity of poultry, both in and out of the huts, and we had to take the greatest care to avoid treading on some of the young brood. The chickens are hatched, as they are in Egypt, by artificial heat. On our return from the village to the pagoda we saw two scham- pans run in shore, and a number of swarthy, half-naked, and mostly armed men jump out, and hasten through the fields of rice directly THE HEBREN PAGODA. 107 to where we were. We set them down as pirates, and awaited the upshot with a considerable degree of uneasiness. We knew that, if we were right in our supposition, we were lost without hope ; for r at the distance we were from Canton, and entirely surrounded by Chinese, who would have been but too ready to lend them assistance,, it would have been doubly easy for pirates to despatch us. All idea, of escape or rescue was out of the question. While these thoughts were flashing 1 across our minds, the men kept approaching 1 us, and at length their leader introduced himself as the captain of a Siamese man-of-war. He informed us, in broken English, that he had not long arrived with the Governor of Bangkok, who was proceeding for the rest of the way to Pekin by land. Our fears were gradually dispelled, and we even accepted the friendly invitation of the captain to run alongside his ship and view it, on our return. He came in the boat with us, and took us on board, where he showed us everything himself : the sight, however, was not a particularly attractive one. The crew looked very rough and wild ; they were all dressed in a most slovenly and dirty manner, so that it was utterly impossible to distinguish the officers from the common men. The vessel mounted twelve guns and sixty-eight hands. The captain set before us Portuguese wine and English beer, and the evening was far advanced before we reached home. The longest trip that can be made from Canton is one twenty miles up the Pearl stream, and Mr. Agassiz was kind enough to pro- cure me this pleasure. He hired a good boat, which he furnished abundantly with eatables and drinkables, and invited a missionary, who had made the trip several times, Herr von Carlowitz, and myself. The company of a missionary is as yet by far the safest escort in China. These gentlemen speak the language ; they become gradually acquainted with the people, and travel about, with hardly any obstacle- to speak of, all round the vicinity of Canton. About a week before we had decided on going 1 , a few young gen- tlemen had endeavoured to make the same excursion, but had been fired upon from one of the fortresses that lie on the banks of the river, and compelled to turn back half way. When we approached the fort- ress in question, the crew of our boat refused to proceed any further, until we had almost employed violence to make them do so." We also were fired into, but fortunately not until we were more than half past the fortress. Having* escaped the danger, we pursued our course without further interruption, landed at several hamlets, visited the so-called Herren Pagoda, and took a good view of everything* that was to be -seen. The scenery all around was charming, and displayed to our view large plains with rice, sugar, and tea plantations, pic- turesque clumps of trees, lovely hills, and more elevated mountain ranges rising in the distance. On the declivities of the hills we beheld a number of graves, which were marked by single, upright stones. The Herren Pagoda has three stories, with a pointed roof, and is distinguished for its external sculpture. It has no balconies outside, but, instead of this, a triple wreath of leaves round each story. In the first and second story, to which access is gained by more than 108 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOBLD. usually narrow stairs, are some smnll altars with carved idols. We were not allowed to go into the third story, under the excuse that there was nothing to be seen there. The villages we visited resembled, more or less, that we had seen near the Half-way Pagoda. During 1 this journey I was an eye witness of the manner in which the missionaries dispose of their religious tracts. The missionary who had been kind enough to accompany us took this opportunity of distributing- among- the natives some seeds that should bring forth good fruit. He had 500 tracts on board our boat,, and every time that another boat approached us, a circumstance that was of frequent occurrence, he stretched himself as far as possible over the side with half a dozen tracts in his hand, and made signs to the people to approach and take them. If the people did not obey his summons, we rowed up to them, and the missionary gratified them with his tracts in dozens, and went his way rejoicing, in anticipation of the good which he did not doubt they would effect. Whenever we arrived at a village, however, matters reached even a higher pitch. The servant was obliged to carry whole packs of tracts, which in a moment were distributed among the crowd of curious who had quickly gathered round us. Every one took what was offered to him, as it cost nothing, and if he could not read it the tracts were in Chinese he had at least got so much paper. The missionary returned home delighted; he had disposed of his 500 copies. What glorious news for the Missionary Society, and what a brilliant article for his religious paper, he no doubt transmitted to Europe ! Six young Englishmen made this same excursion up the Pearl stream six months later, stopping at one of the villages, and mixing with the people. Unhappily, however, they all fell victims to the fanaticism of the Chinese : they were most barbarously murdered. There was now no trip of any distance left but one round the walls of the town of Canton,* properly so called. This, too, I was shortly enabled to undertake through the kindness of our good friend the missionary, who offered to come as guide to II err von Carlowitz and myself, under the condition, however, that I should put on male attire. No woman had ever yet ventured to make this trip, and he thought that I ought not to venture in my own dress ; I complied with his wish, therefore, and one fine morning early we set out. For some distance our road lay through narrow streeets or alleys paved with large flags. In a small niche somewhere in the front of every house, we saw little altars from one to three feet high, before which, as it was yet early, the night lamps were still burning. An immense quantity of oil is unnecessarily consumed in keeping up this religious custom. The shops now began to be opened. They resemble neat entrance halls, having no front wall. The goods were exposed for sale either in large open boxes or on tables, behind which the * The town of Canton is nine miles in circumference. It is the residence of a Yiceroy, and divided by walls into the Chinese and the Tartar town. The population of the town itself is reckoned at 400,000, while it is calculated that T0,000 persons live in the boats and schampans, and about 200,000- in the immediate vicinity. The number of Europeans settled here is about 200. THE WALLS OF CANTON. 109 shopkeepers sit and work. In one corner of the shop a narrow staircase leads up into the dwelling-house above. Here, as in Turkish towns, the same regulation is observed of each trade or calling 1 having" its especial street, so that in one nothing- but crockery and glass, in another silks, and so on, is to be seen. In the physicians' street are situated all the apothecaries' shops as well, as the two professions are united in one and the same person. The provisions, whicli are very tastily arranged, have also their separate streets. Between the houses are frequently small temples, not differing the least, however, in style from the surrounding 1 buildings : the gods, too, merely occupy the ground floor, the upper stories being inhabited by simple mortals. The bustle in the streets was astonishing-, especially in those set apart for the sale of provisions. Women and girls of the lower classes went about making their purchases, just as in Europe. They were all unveiled, and some of them waddled like geese, in consequence of their crippled feet, which, as I before observed, extends to all ranks. The crowd was considerably increased by the number of porters, with large baskets of provisions on their shoulders, running along, and praising' in a loud voice their stock in trade, or warning 1 the people to make way for them. At other times the whole breadth of the street would be taken up, and the busy stream of human beings completely stopped by the litter of some rich or noble personage proceeding to his place of business. But worse than all were the numerous porters we imt at every step we took, carrying 1 large baskets of unsavoury matter. It is a well-known fact, that there is perhaps no nation on the face of the earth equal to the Chinese in diligence and industry, or that profits by, and cultivates, as they do, every available inch of ground. As, however, they have not much cattle, and consequently but little manure, they endeavour to supply the want of it by other means, and hence their great care of anything 1 that can serve as a substitute. All their small streets are built against the city walls, so that we had been going round them for some time before we were aware of the fact. Mean-looking gates or wickets, which all foreigners are strictly prohibited from passing, and which are shut in the evening, lead into the interior of the town. I was told that it has often happened for sailors, or other strangers, during their walks, to penetrate through one of these entrances into the interior of the town, and not discover their mistake until the stones began flying about their ears. After threading our way for at least two miles through a succes- sion of narrow streets, we at length emerged into the open space, where we obtained a full view of the city walls, and, from the summit of a small hill whicli was situated near them, a tolerably extensive one over the town itself. The city walls are about sixty feet high, and, for the most part, so overgrown with grass, creeping plants, and underwood, that they resemble a magniticent mass of living vegeta- tion. The town resembles a chaos of small houses, with now and then a solitary tree ; but we saw neither fine streets nor squares, nor any remarkable buildings, temples, or pagodas. A single pagoda, 110 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOELD. five stories high, reminded us of the peculiar character of Chinese architecture. Our road now lay over fertile eminences, varied with fields and meadows in a high state of cultivation. Many of the hills are used as cemeteries, and are dotted over with small mounds of earth, walled in with stone flags, or rough hewn stones two feet high, frequently covered with inscriptions. Family tombs were also to be seen, dug in the hill, and enclosed with stone walls of the shape of a horse-shoe. All the entrances are built up with stone. The Chinese do not, however, bury all their dead : they have a remarkable way of preserving them in small stone chambers, consist- ing of two stone walls and a roof, while the two other sides are left open. In these places there are never more than from two or four coffins, which are placed upon wooden benches two feet high : the coffins themselves consist of massive trunks of trees hollowed out. The villages through which we passed presented an animated appearance, but appeared poor and dirty. We were often oblig-ed to hold our noses in passing through the lanes and squares, and very frequently would lain have closed our eyes as well, to avoid the dis- gusting sight of people covered with eruptions of the skin, tumours, and boils. In all the villages I saw poultry and swine in great numbers, but not more than three horses and a buffalo-cow ; both the horses and the cow were of an extremely small breed. When we had nearly reached the end of our excursion we met a funeral. A horrible kind of music gave us warning that something* extraordinary was approaching, and we had hardly time to look up and step on one side, before the procession came flying past us at full speed. First came the worthy musicians, followed by a few Chinese, next two empty litters carried by porters, and then the hollow trunk of a tree, representing the coffin, hanging to a long pole, and carried in a similar manner : last of all, were some priests and a crowd of people. The chief priest wore a kind of white* fool's cap, with three points ; the other persons, who consisted of men alone, had a kind of white cloth bound round their head or arm. I was lucky enough to be enabled to visit some_of the summer palaces and gardens of the nobility. The finest of all was certainly that belonging to the Mandarin Howqua. The house itself was tolerably spacious, one story high, with very wide, splendid terraces. The windows looked into the inner courts, and the roof was like those in European buildings, only much flatter. The sloping roofs, with their multitudes of points and pinnacles, with their little bells and variegated tiles, are only to be- found in the temples and country-houses, but never in the usual residences. At the entrance there were two painted gods : these, according to the belief of the Chinese, keep off evil spirits. The front part of the house consisted of several reception-rooms, without front walls, and immediately adjoining them, on the ground * The Chinese adopt white for mourning. Ill floor, elegant parterres ; and on the first floor magnificent terraces, which were also decorated with flowers, and afforded a most splendid view over the animated scene on the river, the enchanting 1 scenery around, and the mass of houses in the villages situated about the walls of Canton. Neat little cabinets surrounded these rooms, from which they were only separated by walls that in many cases were adorned with the most artistic paintings, and through which the eye could easily pene- trate. The most remarkable of these walls were those composed of bamboos, which were as delicate as a veil, and plentifully ornamented with painted flowers, or beautifully-written proverbs. A numberless quantity of chairs and a great many sofas were ranged along the walls, from which I inferred that the Chinese are as much accustomed to large assemblages as ourselves. I observed some arm-chairs most skilfully cut out of a single piece of wood; others with seats of beautiful marble slabs ; and others again of fine coloured tiles or porcelain. Among various objects of European fur- niture, we saw some handsome mirrors, clocks, vases, and tables of Florentine mosaic, or variegated marble. There was also a most extraordinary collection of lamps and lanterns hanging from the ceilings, and consisting of glass, transparent horn, and coloured gauze or paper, ornamented with glass beads, fringe, and tassels. Nor was there any scarcity of lamps on the walls, so that, when the apartments are entirely lighted up, they must present a fairy-like appearance. As we had been fortunate enough to reach this house without being stoned, we were emboldened to visit the Mandarin Howqua's large pleasure-garden, situated on a branch of the Pearl stream, about three-quarters of a mile from the house. We had, however, hardly entered the branch of the river before the crew wanted to turn back, having observed a mandarin's junk, with all its flags hoisted, a signal that the owner himself was on board. They were unwilling to ven- ture on conveying us Europeans past the vessel, for fear they should be punished, or stoned to death, along with ourselves, by the people. We obliged them to proceed, passed close by the junk, and then landed, and continued our excursion on foot. A large crowd of people .soon collected in our rear, and began pushing the children up against us, in order to excite our rage ; but, arming ourselves with patience, we moved quietly on, and reached, without any accident, the garden gates, which we instantly closed behind us. The garden was in a perfect state of cultivation, but without the least pretension to taste in its arrangement. On every side were summer-houses, kiosks, and bridges ; and all the paths and open spots were lined with large and small flower-pots, in which were flowers and dwarfed fruit-trees of every description. The Chinese are certainly adepts in the art of diminishing the size of, or rather crippling, their trees, many of which very often scarcely attain a height of three feet. These dwarf trees are very prevalent in their gardens, and preferred to the most magnificent and shady trees of a natural size. These liliputian alleys can hardly be con- sidered in good taste, but it is most remarkable with what a large quantity of beautiful fruit the tiny branches are laden. 112 A WOMAN'S JGUllNEY ROU-VD THE WORLD. Besides these toys we also observed figures of all descriptions, representing- ships, birds, fish, pagodas, &c., cut out of foliage. In the heads of the animals were stuck eggs, with a black star painted on them to represent the eyes. There was also no scarcity of rocks, both single and in groups, ornamented with flower-pots, as well as little figures of men and animals, which can be removed at pleasure, so as to form new com- binations, a kind of amusement of which the Chinese ladies are said to be very fond. Another source of entertainment, no less popular, as well among the ladies as the gentlemen, consists in kite-flying, and they will sit for hours looking at their paper monsters' in the air. There is a large open spot set apart for this purpose in the garden of every Chinese nobleman. We noticed an abundance of running water and ponds, but we did not observe any fountains. As everything had passed off so well, Herr von Carlowitz pro- posed that we should go and see the garden of the Mandarin Pun- tiqua. which I was very anxious to do, as the mandarin had ordered a steam-boat to be built there by a Chinese who had resided thirteen years in North America, where he had studied. The vessel was so far advanced that it was to be launched in a few weeks. The artist showed us his work with great satisfaction, and was evidently very much pleased at the praise we bestowed upon him for it. He attached great, importance to his knowledge of the Eng- lish language, for, when Herr von Carlowitz addressed him in Chinese, he answered in English, and requested us to continue the conversa- tion in that idiom. The machinery struck us as not being constructed with the usual degree of neatness for which the Chinese are famous, and also appeared far too large for the small vessel for which it was intended. iNeitiier I nor my companion would have had the courage to have gone in her en her experimental trip. The mandarin who had the vessel built had gone to Pekin to obtain a "button" as his reward for being the first person to launch a steamer in the Chinese empire. The builder himself will, in all probability, be obliged to rest contented with the consciousness of his talent. From the ship-yard we proceeded to the garden, which was very large but greatly neglected. There were neither alleys nor fruit- trees, rocks nor figures; but, to make up for those, an insufferable quantity of summer-houses, bridges, galleries, little temples, and pagodas. The dwelling-house consisted of a large hall and a number of small chambers. The walls were ornamented, both inside and out, with carved wood-work, and the roof abundantly decorated with points arid pinnacles. In the large halls plays and other entertainments are sometimes enacted for the amusement of the ladies, who are universally confined to (heir houses and gardens, which can only be visited by strangers in their absence.* * Noble Chinese ladies pass a much mere secluded life than Eastern women. They arc allowid to visit one arn'.her vry seldom, Mid t!::.t only in Weil-closed litters. They have neither mi'.He lni'!;s nor guidons in which (hoy cu;i meet. VISIT TO A TEA FACTORY. 113 A number of peacocks, silver-pheasant?, mandarin-ducks, and deer are preserved in their g-ardens. In one corner was a small, gloomy bamboo plantation, in which were some family graves ; and not far off a small earthen mound had been raised, with a wooden tablet, on which was a long poetical inscription in honour of the favourite snake of the mandarin which was buried there. After duly inspecting- everything, we set off on our road home, and reached there in safety. I was not so fortunate a fewdays later on visiting a tea factory. The proprietor conducted me himself over the workshops, which consisted of large halls, in which six hundred people, including a great many old women and children, were at work. My entrance occasioned a perfect revolt. Old and young rose from work, the elder portion lifting up the younger members of the community in their arms and pointing at me with their fingers. The whole mass then pressed close upon me and raised so horrible a cry that I began to be alarmed. The proprietor and his overseer had a difficult task to keep off the crowd, and begged me to content myself with a hasty glance at the different objects, and then to quit; the building as soon as possible. In consequence of this I could only manage to observe that the leaves of the plant are thrown for a few seconds into boiling water, and then placed in flat iron pans, fixed slantingly in stone-work, where they are slightly roasted by a gentle heat, during which pro- cess they are continually stirred by hand. As soon as they begin to curl a little they are thrown upon largo planks, and each single leaf is rolled together. This is effected with such rapidity, that it re- quires a person's undivided attention to perceive that no more than one leaf is rolled up at a time. After thi.-, all the leaves are placed once more in the pan. Black tea takes some time to roast, and the green is frequently coloured with prussian blue, an exceedingly .-mall quantity of which is added during- the second roasting. Lust of all the tea is once more shaken out upon the large boards, in order that it may be carefully inspected, and the leaves that are not entirely closed are "rolled over again. Before, I left, the proprietor conducted me into his house, and treated me to a cup of tea prepared after the fashion in which it is usually drunk by rich and noble Chinese. A small quantity was placed in a china cup, boiling water poured upon ir, and the cup then closed with a tightly-fitting cover. In a few seconds the tea is then drank and the leaves left at the bottom. The Chinese take neither sugar, rum, nor milk with their tea ; they say that anything added to it, and even the stirring of it, causes ft to lose its aroma; in my cup, however, a little sugar was put. The tea-plant, whic-h I saw in the plantations round about Canton, was at most six feet high ; it is not allowed to grow any higher, and is consequently cut at intervals. Its leaves are ii.^ed from the third to the eighth year ; and the plant is then cut down, in order that it may send ibrth new shoot?, or el.-e it is rooted out. There are three gatherings in the year: the first in March, the second in April, and the third, which lasts for three months, in May. The leaves of the tirot gathering are so delicate and line that they might easily be taken 114 A WOMAN'S JOUBNEY ROUND THE WORLD. for the blossom, which has no doubt given rise to the error that the so-called " bloom or imperial tea" is supposed not to consist of the leaves, but of the blossom itself.* This gathering is so hurtful to the plant that it often perishes. I was informed that the tea which comes from the neighbourhood of Canton is the worst, and that from the provinces somewhat more to the north the best. The tea-manufacturers of Canton are said to possess the art of giving tea that has been frequently used, or spoiled by rain, the appearance of good tea. They dry and roast the leaves, colour them yellow with powdered kurkumni, or light green with Prussian blue, and then roll them tightly up. The price of the tea sent to Europe varies from fifteen to sixty dollars (3 to 12) a pikul of 134 Ib. English weight. The kind at sixty dollars does not find a very ready market; the greater part of it is exported to England. The " bloom" is not met with in trade. I must mention a sight which I accidentally saw, one evening, upon the Pearl stream. It was, as I afterwards* heard, a thanksgiving festival in honour of the gods, by the owners of two junks that had made a somewhat long sea voyage without being pillaged by pirates, or overtaken by the dangerous typhoon. Two of the largest flower-boats, splendidly illuminated, were floating- gently down the stream. Three rows of lamps were hung round the upper part of the vessels, forming perfect galleries of fire ; all the cabins were full of chandeliers and lamps, and on the forecastle large fires were burning, out of which rockets darted at intervals with a loud report, although they only attained the elevation of a few feet. On the foremost vessel there was a large mast erected, and hung with myriads of coloured paper lamps up to its very top, forming a beau- tiful pyramid. Two boats, abundantly furnished with torches and provided with boisterous music, preceded these two fiery masses. Slowly did they float through the darkness of the night, appearing like the work of fairy hands. Sometimes they stopped, when high flames, fed with holy perfumed paper, flickered upwards to the sky. Perfumed paper, which must be bought from the priests, is burnt at every opportunity, and very frequently beforehand, after every prayer. From the trade in this paper the greater portion of the priests' income is derived. On several occasions, accompanied by Herr von Carlowitz, I took short walks in the streets near the factory. I found the greater pleasure in examining the beautiful articles of Chinese manufacture, which I could here do at my leisure, as the shops were not so open as those I saw during my excursion round the walls of Canton, but had doors and windows like our own, so that I could walk in and be protected from the pressure of the crowd. The streets, also, in this quarter were somewhat broader, well paved, and protected with mats .or planks to keep off the burning heat of the sun. In the neighbourhood of the factory, namely, in Fousch-an, where most of the manufactories are situated, a great many places may be The leaves of this Catherine: are plucked with the greatest care by children and young people, who are provided with gloves, and are bound to pick every leaf sepa- .rately. DEPASTURE FROiT CASTOR. 115 reached by water, as the streets, like those in Venice, are intersected by canals. This quarter of Canton, however, is not the handsomest, because all the warehouses are erected on the sides of the canals, where the different workmen have also taken up their residence in miserable huts that, built half upon the ground and half upon worm- eaten piles, stretch far out over the water. I had now been altogether, from July 13th to August 20th, five weeks in Canton. The season was the hottest in the whole year, and the heat was really insupportable. In the house the glass rose as high as 944, and out of doors, in the shade, as high as 90. To render this state of things bearable, the inhabitants use, besides the punkas in the rooms, wicker-work made of bamboo. This wicker- work is placed before the windows and doors, or over those portions of the roofs under which the workshops are situated. Even whole walls are formed of it, standing about eight or ten feet from the real ones, and provided with entrances, window openings, and roofs. The houses are most effectually disguised by it. On my return to Hong-Kong I again set out on board a junk, but not so fearlessly as the first time ; the unhappy end of Monsieur Vauchee was still fresh in my memory. I took the precaution of packing up the few clothes and linen I had in the presence of the servants, that they might be convinced that any trouble the pirates might give themselves on my account would be thrown away. On the evening of the 20th of August I bade Canton, and all my friends there, farewell ; and at 9 o'clock I was once again floating down the Sikiang, or Pearl stream, famous for the deecls of horror perpetrated on it. CHAPTER IX. THE EAST INDIES SINGAPORE. ARRIVAL IN HONG-KONG THE ENGLISH STEAMER SINGAPORE PLANTATIONS A HUNTING PAUTY IN THE JUNGLE A CHINESE FUNERAL THE FEAST OF LAN- TERNS TEMPERATURE AND CLIMATE. THE passage from Canton to Hong-Kong was accomplished without any circumstance worthy of notice, save the time it took, in conse- quence of the prevalence of contrary winds the whole way. We were, it is true, woke up the first nig'ht by the report of guns ; but I expect they were not fired at us, as we were not molested. My travelling companions, the Chinese, also behaved themselves on this occasion with the greatest politeness and decorum ; and, had I been enabled to look into the future, I would willingly have given up the English steamer, and pursued my journey as far as Singapore on board a junk. But, as this was impossible, I availed myself of the English steamer " Pekin," of 450 horse-power, Captain Fronson commander, which leaves for Calcutta every month. As the fares are most exorbitant,* I was advised to take a third- class ticket, and hire a cabin from one of the engineers or petty officers ; I was greatly pleased with the notion, and hastened to carry it out. My astonishment, however, may be imagined when, on paying my fare, 1 was told that the third-class passengers were not respect- able, that they were obliged to sleep upon deck, and the moon was exceedingly dangerous, &c. It was in vain that I replied I was the best judge of my own actions ; I was obliged, unless I chose to remain behind, to pay for one of the second places. This certainly gave me a very curious idea of English liberty. On the 25th of August, at 1 o'clock P.M., I went on board. On reaching the vessel I found no servant in the second places, and was obliged to ask a sailor to take my luggage into the cabin. This latter was certainly anything but comfortable. The furniture was of the most common description, the table covered with stains and dirt, and the whole place was one scene of confusion. I inquired for the sleep- ing cabin, and found there was but one for both sexes. I was told to apply to one of the officials, who would no doubt allow me to sleep somewhere else. I did so, and obtained a neat little cabin in conse- quence, and the steward was kind enough to propose that I should take my meals with his wife. I did not, however, choose to accept the offer ; I paid dearly enough, Heaven knows, and did not choose to accept everything as a favour. Besides, this was the first English steamer I had ever been on board, and 1 was curious to learn how second-class passengers were treated. * 173 dollars the chief cabin, 117 the second (31 11$. and 23 8s.). THE ENGLISH STEAMEB TO SINGAPORE. 117 The company at our table consisted not only of the passengers, of whom there were three besides myself, but of the cooks and waiters of the first-class places, as well as of the butcher ; or, in a word, of every one of the attendants who chose to take potluck with us. As for any etiquette in the article of costume, that was entirely out of the question. Sometimes one of the company would appear without either coat or jacket ; the butcher was generally oblivious of his shoes and stockings ; and it was really necessary to be endowed with a ravenous appetite to be enabled to eat anything with such a set. The bill of fare was certainly adapted to the crew and their cos- tume, but decidedly not to the passengers, who had to pay thirteen dollars ('2 125.) a day each for provisions. The tablecloth was full of stains, and, in lieu of a napkin, each guest was at liberty to use his handkerchief. The knives and forks had white and black horn handles, with notched blades and broken prongs. On the first day we had no spoons at all ; on the second we had one between us, and this one was placed on the table in solitary grandeur during the entire voyage. There were only two glasses, and those of the most ordinary description, which circulated from mouth to mouth ; as I was a female, instead of my turn of the glasses, I had, as a peculiar mark of distinction, an old teacup with the handle knocked off. The head cook, who did the honours, pleaded in excuse for all this discomfort that they happened this vo3 T age to be short of servants. This struck me as really a little too naive, for when I paid my money I paid for what I was to have, and not for what I might have another time. As I said before, the provisions were execrable ; the remnants of the first cabin were sent to us poor wretches. Two or three different things would very often lie side l>y side in the most friendly and brotherly manner upon one dish, even although their character was widely different ; that was looked upon as a matter of no import, which was also the case as to whether the things came to table hot or cold. On one occasion, during tea, the head cook was in unusually good humour, and remarked, "I spare no possible pains to provide for you. I hope you want for nothing." Two of the passengers, Englishmen, replied ," " No, that 7 s true ! " The third, who was a Portuguese, did not understand the importance of the assertion. As a native of Ger- many, not possessing the patriotic feelinir of an English subject, in the matter, I should have replied very differently had I not been a -woman, and if, by so replying, I could hay eliVHrd ;i change for thn better. The only light we had was from a piece of tallow candle, that -often went out by eight o'clock. We were then under the necessity of sitting in the dark or going to bed. In the morning the cabin served as a barber's shop, and in the afternoon as a dormitory, where the cooks and servants, who were half dead with sleep, used to come and slumber on the benches. in order to render us still more comfortable, one of the officers id upon our cabin as quarters for two youn- puppies, who did r 2 118 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. nothing 1 but keep up one continued howl ; lie would not have dared to put them in the sailors' cabin, because the latter would have kicked them out without farther ceremony. My description will, in all probability, be considered exaggerated, especially as there is an old opinion that the English are, above all other people, justly celebrated for their comfort and cleanliness. I can, however, assure my readers that I have spoken nothing- but the truth ; and I will even add that, although I have made many voyages on board steam-ships, and always paid second fare, never did I pay so high a price for such wretched and detestable treatment. In all my life I was never so cheated. The only circumstance on board the ship to which I can refer with pleasure was the conduct of the officers, who were, without exception, obliging and polite. I was very much struck with the remarkable degree of patience- exhibited by my fellow-passengers. I should like to know what an Englishman, who has always got the words "comfort" and "com- fortable ? ' at the tip of his tongue, would say if he were treated in this manner on board a steamer belonging to any other nation? For the first few days of our voyage we saw no land, and it was not until the 28th of August that we caught sight of the rocky coast of Cochin China. During the whole of the 29th we steered close- along the coast, but could see no signs of either human beings or habitations, the only objects visible being richly-wooded mountain- ranges ; in the evening, however, we beheld several fires, which might have been mistaken for the signals from lighthouses, and proved that the country was not quite uninhabited. During the following day we only saw a large solitary rock, called " The Shoe." It struck me as being exactly like the head of a shepherd's dog. On the 2nd of September we neared Malacca. Skirting the coast are tolerably high, well-wooded mountain-ranges, infested, according to all accounts, by numerous tigers, that render all travelling very dangerous. On the 3rd of September we ran into the port of Singapore ; but it was so late in Ihe evening that we could not disembark. On the following 1 morning I paid a visit to the firm of Behu and Meyer, to whom I had letters of introduction. Madame Behu was the first German lady Iliad met since my departure from Hamburgh. I cannot say how delighted I was at forming her acquaintance. I was once more able to give free vent to my feelings in my own native tongue. Madame Behu would not hear of my lodging in an hotel;. I was immediately installed as a member of her own amiable family. My original plan was to have remained but a short period in Singapore, and then proceed in a sailing vessel to Calcutta, as I had a perfect horror of English steamers, and as I had been told that opportunities continually presented themselves. I waited, however, week after week in vain, until, in spite of my unwillingness, I was obliged to embark in a comfortable English steamer at last.* The Europeans lead pretty much the same kind of life at Singapore * These steamers carry the mails, nnd make the voyage from Canton to Calcutta once a month, touching at Singapore on their way. SINGAPORE. 119 that they do at Canton, with this difference, however, that the mer- chants reside with their families in the country, and come to town every morning 1 for business. Each family is obliged to keep a large staff of servants, and the lady of the house meddles very little in domestic matters, as these are generally altogether entrusted to the major-domo. The servants are Chinese, with the exception of the scis (coach- men or grooms), who are JBengalese. Every spring, whole shiploads of Chinese boys, from ten to fifteen years old, come over here. They are generally so poor that they cannot pay their passage. When this is the case, the captain brings them over on his own account, and is paid beforehand, by the person engaging them, their wages for the first year. These young people live very economically, and, when they have a little money, return generally to their native country, though many hire themselves as journeymen, and stop altogether. The island of Singapore has a population of 55,000 souls, 40,000 of whom are Chinese, 10,000 Malays, or natives, and 150 Europeans. The number of women are said to bo very small, in consequence of the immigrants from China and India consisting only of men and boys. The town of Singapore arid its environs contain upwards of '20,000 inhabitants. The streets struck me as being broad and airy, but the houses are not handsome. They are only one story high ; and, from the fact of the roofs being placed directly above the windows, appear as if they were crushed. On account of the continual heat, there is no glass 'in any of the windows, but its place is supplied by sun-blinds. Every article of merchandise has here, as at Canton, if not its own peculiar street, at least its own side of the street. The building in which meat and vegetables are sold is a line handsome edifice, resem- bling a temple. As a natural result of the number of persons of different nations congregated upon this island, there are various temples, none of which are worthy of notice, however, with the exception of that belonging to the Chinese. It is formed like an ordinary house, but the roof is ornamented in the usual Chinese fashion to rather too great an ex- tent. It is loaded with points and pinnacles, with circles and curves without end, all of which are formed of coloured tiles or porcelain, and decorated with an infinity of arabesques, flowers, dragons, and other monsters. Over the principal entrance are small stone bas- reliefs, and both the exterior and interior of the building can boast of a profusion of carved wood-work richly gilt. Some fruit and biscuits of various descriptions, with a very small quantity of boiled rice, were placed upon the altar of the Goddess of Mercy. These are renewed every erening, and whatever the goddess may leave is the perquisite of the bonzes. On the same altar lay pretty little wooden counters cut in an oval shape, which the Chinese toss up in the air; it is held to be a sid, and gave way to the bare rock. I was not less interested,, however, with the curious teams we sometimes met, than I was with the scenery. It is well known that Ceylon abounds in elephants, many of which are captured and employed for various purposes. Those that I now saw were yoked in twos or threes to large waggons, full of stones for mending the roads. Four miles before reaching Candy, we came to the river Mahavila- ganira, which is spanned by a masterly bridge of one arch. The materials of the bridge are most costly, consisting of satin-wood. In connection with this structure, I learned the following legend : After the conquer of the island by the English, the natives did not give up the hope of once more attaining their independence, because one of their oracles had declared that it was as impossible 134 A WOMAN'S JOUIINEY ROUND THE WORLD. for the enemy to obtnin a Insting dominion over them, as it was for the opposite banks of the Mahavilaganga to he united by a road. When the bridge was begun they smiled, and said that it could never be successfully completed. At present, I was told, they think of independence no more. Near the bridge is a botanical garden, which I visited the following- day, and was astonished at its excellent arrangement, and the rich- ness of its collection of flowers, plants, and trees. Opposite the garden is one of the largest sugar-plantations, and, in the neighbourhood, a number of coffee-plantations. In my opinion, the situation of Candy is most beautiful, but many affirm that it is too near the mountains, and lies in a pit. At. any rate, this pit is a very lovely one, abounding in the most luxuriant vegetation" The town itself is small and ugly, consisting of nothing but a mass of small shops, with natives passing* to and fro. The few houses that belong to Europeans, the places of business, and the barracks, are all outside the town, upon small hills. Large sheets of artificial water, surrounded by splendid stone balustrades, and shaded by alleys of the mighty tulip-tree, occupy a portion of the valley. On the side of one of these basins stands the famous Buddhist temple of Dagoha, which is built in the Moorish-Hindostanee style, and richly ornamented. On my leaving the coach, one of the passengers was kind enough to recommend me a good hotel, and to call a native and direct him where to conduct me. When I reached the hotel, the people there said that they were very sorry, but that all their rooms were occupied. I asked them to direct my gnide to another establishment, which they did. The rascal led me away from the town, and, pointing to a lull which was near us, gave me to understand that the hotel was situated behind it. I believed him, as all the houses are built far apart ; but, on ascending the hill, I found nothing but a lonely spot and a wood. I wished to turn back, but the fellow paid no attention to my desire, and continued walking towards the wood. I then snatched rny port- manteaufrom him, and refused to proceed any further. He endeavoured to wrest it from me, when, luckily, I saw in the distance two English soldiers, who hastened up in answer to my cries, and, on seeing this, the fellow ran off. I related my adventure to the soldiers, who con- gratulated me on the recovery of my luggage, and conducted me to the barracks, where one of the officers was kind enough to give orders that I should be conducted to another hotel. My first visit was to the temple of Dagoha, which contains a valuable relic of the god Buddha, namely, one of his teeth, and, together with the outbuildings, is surrounded by a wall. The cir- cumference of the principal temple is not very considerable, and the sanctuary, which contains the tooth, is a small chamber hardly twenty feet broad. Within this place all is darkness, as there are no win- dows, and inside the door there is a curtain, to prevent the entry of any light. The walls and ceiling are covered with silk tapestry, which, however, has nothing but its antiquity to recommend it. It is true that it was interwoven with gold thread, but it appeared never to have been especially costly, and I cannot believe that it ever CEYLON THE TEMPLE OF DAGOHA. 135 produced that dazzling effect which some travellers have described. Half of the chamber was engrossed by a large table, or kind of altar, inlaid with plates of silver, and ornamented round the edges with precious stones. On it stands a bell-shaped case, measuring at the bottom at least three feet in diameter, and the same ID height. It is made of silver thickly gilt, and decorated with a number of costly jewels ; there is a peacock in the middle entirely formed of precious stones ; but all these treasures fail to produce any very great effect, from the clumsy and inartistic fashion in which they are set. Under the large case there are six smaller ones, said to be of pure gold ; under the last is the tooth of the all-powerful divinity. The outer case is secured by means of three locks, two of the keys belong- ing to which used to be kept by the English governor, while the third remained in the custody of the chief priest of the temple. A short time previous to my visit, however, the government had restored the two keys to the natives with great solemnities, and they are now confided to one of the native Radschas, or princes. The relic itself is only shown to a prince or some other great personage ; all other people must be content to believe the priest, who, for a small gratuity, has the politeness to describe the size and beauty of the tooth. The dazzling whiteness of its hue is said to eclipse that of ivory, while its form is described as being more beau- tiful than anything O f the kind ever beheld, and its size equal to that of the tooth of an immense bullock. An immense number of pilgrims come here every year to pay their adoration to this divine tooth. " Where ignorance is bliss, 't is folly to be wise." How many people are there among us Christians who believe things which re- quire quite as great an amount of faith? For instance, I remember witnessing, when I was a girl, a festival at Calvaria, in Galicia, which is still celebrated every year. A great multitude of pilgrims go there to obtain splinters of tlie true cross. The priests manufacture little crosses of wax, on which, as they assure the faithful, they stick splinters of the real one. These little crosses, wrapped up in paper and packed in baskets, are placed ready for distribution, that is, for sale. Every peasant generally takes three : one to put in his room, one in his stable, and another in his barn. The most wonder- ful portion of the business is that these crosses must be renewed every year, as in that period they lose their divine power. But let me return to Candy. In a second temple, adjoining that in which the relic is preserved, are two gigantic hollow statues of the god Kuddha, in a sitting posture, and both are said to be formed of the finest gold. Before these colossi stand whole rows of smaller Bucldhas, of crystal, glass, silver, copper, and other materials. In. the entrance-hall, likewise, are several stone statues of different gods, with other ornaments, most of them roughly and stiffly executed. In the middle stands a small plain monument of stone, resembling a bell turned upside down ; it is said to cover the grave of a Brahmin. On the outer walls of the principal temple are wretched daubs in fresco, representing the state of eternal punishment. Some of the figures are being roasted, twitched with red-hot pincers, partly baked 136 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY EOTJND THE WORLD. or forced to swallow fire. Others, again, are jammed between rock?, or having- pieces of flesh cut out of their bodies, &c., but fire appears to play the principal part in these punishments. The doors of the principal temple are made of metnl, and the door- posts of ivory. On the first are the most beautiful arabesques in basso-relief, and on the second inlaid work, representing flowers and other objects. Before the principal entrance, four of the largest elephant's teeth ever found are stuck up by way of ornament. Eanged round the courtyard are the tents of the priests, who always go about with bare, shaven heads, and whose costume consists of a light yellow upper garment, which nearly covers the whole body. It is said that there were once 500 officiating priests in this temple; at present the divinity is obliged to content himself with a i'ew dozen. The chief part of the religious ceremonies of the Buddhists con- sists in presents of flowers and money. Every morning and evening a most horrible instrument, fit to break the drum of one's ear, and called a tam-tam, together with some shrill trumpets and fifes, is played before the door of the temple. To this soon succeeds a crowd of people from all sides, bringing baskets full of the most benutiful flowers, with which the priests adorn the altars, and that in a manner so elegant and tasty that it cannot be surpassed. Besides this temple, there are several others in Candy, but only one worth noticing. This is situated at the foot of a rocky hill, out of which has been hewn a statue of Buddha, thirty-six fret high, arid over this is built the temple, which is small and elegant. The god is painted with the most glaring colours. The walls of the temple are covered with handsome red cement, and portioned out into small panels, in all of which the god Buddha appears al fresco. There are also a few portraits of Vischnu, another god. The colours on the southern wall of the temple are remarkable for their fine sjate of preservation. Here, likewise, there is a funeral monument, like that of the Tem- ple of Dagoha, not, however, in the building itself, but under the lofty firmament of heaven, and shaded by noble trees. Attached to the temples are frequently schools, in which the priests fulfil the duties of teachers. Near this particular temple we saw about a dozen boys girls are not allowed to attend srhool busy writing. The copies for them were written very beautifully, by means of a stylus, on small palm-leaves, and the boys used the same materiitl. It is well worth any person's while to walk to the great valley through which the Mahavilaganga flows. It is intersected with a countless number of wave-like hills, many of which form regular terraces, and are planted with rice or coffee. Nature is here young and vigorous, and amply rewards the planter's toil. The awrker portions of the picture are composed of palms or other trees, and the background consists partly of towering mountains, in a holiday suit of green velvet, partly of stupendous and romantic rocks in all their gloomy nakedness. 1 I saw many of the principal mountains in Ceylon giants, 8,000 feet high ; but, unfortunately, not the most celebrated one, Adam's Peak, which has an altitude of 6,500 feet, and which, towards the CEYLOX ELEPHANT HUNTING. 137 summit, is so steep, that it was necessary, in order to enable any one to ciimb up, to cut small steps in the rock, and let in an iron chain. But the bold adventurer is amply repaid for his trouble. On the flat summit of the rock is the imprint of a small foot, five feet long. The Mahomedans. suppose it to be that of our vigorous progenitor, Adam, and the Buddhists that of their large-toothed divinity, Buddha. Thou- sands of both sects flock to the place every year, to perform their devotions. There still exists at Candy the palace of the former king- or emperor of Ceylon. It is a handsome stone building-, but with no peculiar feature of its own; I should have supposed that it had been built by Europeans. It consists of a ground floor, somewhat raised, with large windows, and handsome porticoes resting- upon columns. The only remarkable thing- about it is a large hall in the interior, with its walls decorated with some rough and stiffly executed representations of animals in relief. Since the English deposed the native sovereign, the palace has been inhabited by the English resident, or governor. Had I only arrived a fortnight sooner, I should have witnessed the mode of hunting, or rather snaring, elephants. The scene of operations is a spot on the banks of some stream or other, where these animals go to drink. A large place is enclosed with posts, leading up to which, and also skirted by stout posts, are a series of narrow passages. A tame elephant, properly trained, is then made fast in the middle of the large space, to entice by his cries the thirsty animals, who enter unsuspiciously the labyrinth from which they cannot escape, as the hunters and drivers follow, alarm them by their shouts, and drive them into the middle of the enclosure. The finest are taken alive, by being deprived of food for a short time. This renders them so obedient, that they quietly allow a noose to be thrown over them, and then follow the 'tame elephant without the least resistance. The others are then either killed or set at liberty, according as they possess fine tusks or not. The preparations for capturing these animals sometimes last several weeks, as, besides enclosing the spot selected, a great many persons are employed to hunt up the elephants far and wide, and drive them gradually to the watering-place. Persons sometimes go elephant-hunting- armed merely with fire- arms ; but this is attended with danger. The elephant, as is well known, is easily vulnerable in one spot only the middle of the skull. If the hunter happens to hit the mark, the monster lies stretched before him at the first shot ; but if he misses, then woe to him, for he is speedily trampled to death by the enraged beast. In all other cases the elephant is very peaceable, and is not easily induced to attack human beings. The Europeans employ elephants to draw and carry burdens an elephant will carry forty hundred-weight ; but the natives keep them more for show and riding. I left Candy after a stay of three days, and returned to Colombo, where I was obliged to stop another day, as it was Sunday, and there no mail. I profited by this period to visit the town, which is protected by a 138 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. strong fort. It is very extensive ; the streets are handsome, broad,, and clean ; the houses only one story high, and surrounded by veran- dahs and colonnades. The population is reckoned at about 80,000' souls, of whom about 100 are Europeans, exclusive of the troops, and. 200 descendants of Portuguese colonists, who founded a settlement here some centuries ago. The complexion of the latter is quite as dark as that of the natives themselves. In the morning I attended mass. The church was full of Irish, soldiers and Portuguese. 1 he dress of the Portuguese was extremely rich ; they wore ample robes with large folds, and short silk jackets ; in their ears hung- ear-rings of pearls and diamonds, and round their necks, arms, and even ankles, were gold and silver chains. In the afternoon I took a walk to one of the numerous cinnamon plantations round Colombo. The cinnamon tree or bush is planted in rows ; it attains at most a height of nine feet, and bears a white, scentless blossom. From the fruit, which is smaller than an acorn ? oil is obtained by crushing and 'boiling it; the oil then disengages itself, and floats on the top of the water. It is mixed with cocoa-oil, and used for burning. There are two cinnamon harvests in the course of the year. Th& first and principal one takes place from April to July, and the second from ^November to January. The rind is peeled from the branches by means of knives, and then dried in the sun ; this gives it a yel- lowish or brownish tint. The best cinnamon is a light yellow, and not thicker than pasteboard. The essential oil of cinnamon, used in medicine, is extracted from, the plant itself, which is placed in a vessel full of water, and left to- steep for eight or ten days. The whole mass is then transferred to a retort, and distilled over a slow fire. In a short time, on the surface of the water thus distilled a quantity of oil collects, and this is then skimmed off with the greatest care. In the animal kingdom, besides the elephants, I was much struck by the number and tameness of the ravens of Ceylon. In every small town and village may be seen multitudes of these bird.", that come up to the very doors and windows and pick up everything. They play the part of scavengers here, just as dogs do in Turkey. The horned cattle are rather small, with humps between the shoulder-blades; these humps consist of flesh, and are considered a great dainty. In Colombo and Pointe de Galle there are likewise a great many large white buffaloes, belonging to the English Government, and im- ported from Bengal. They are employed in drawing heavy loads. Under the head of fruit, I may mention the pine-apple as being^ particularly large and good. I found the temperature supportable, especially in the high country round about Candy, where, after some heavy rain, it might almost be called cold. In the evening and morning the thermometer stood as low as 61 25' Fan. ; and in the middle of the day and in the sun it did not rise above 79 25'. In Colombo and Pointe de Galle the weather was fine, and the heat reached 95 Fah. On the L'fJth of October I again reached Pointe de Galle, and on/ the following day I embarked in another English steamer for India. CHAPTER XL MADRAS AND CALCUTTA. DEPARTURE FROM CEYLON MADRAS CALCUTTA MODE OF LIFE OF THEEUROPEANS THE HINDOOS PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN THB TOWN VISIT TO A BABOO RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS OP THE HINDOOS-HOUSES OF DEATH AND PLACE FOR BURNING THE DEAD MAHOMEDAW AND EUROPEAN MARRIAGE CEREMONIES. ON the afternoon of the 27th of October I went on board the steam- ship " Bentinek," of 500-horse power ; but we did not weigh anchor much before evening*. Among the passengers was an Indian prince of the name of Scha- dathan, who had been made prisoner by the English for breaking a peace he had concluded with them. He was treated with all the respect due to his rank, and he was allowed his two companions, his mundschi, or secretary, and six of his servants. They were all dressed in the Oriental fashion, only, instead of turbans, they wore high, round caps, composed of pasteboard, covered with gold or silver stuff. They wore also luxurianr, long black hair, and beards. The companions of the prince took their meals with the servants. A carpet was spread out upon the deck, and two large dishes, one containing boiled fowls, and the other pillau, placed upon it; the com- pany used their hands for knives and forks. *^8th October. We still were in sight of the fine dark mountain ranges of Ceylon. Now and then, too, some huge detached groups of rocks would be visible towering 1 above the waves. 29th October. Saw no land. A iew whales betrayed their pre- sence by the showers of spray they spouted up, and immense swarms of flying-fish were startled by the noise of our engines. On the morning of the 30th of October we came in sight of tho Indian continent. We soon approached near enough to the shore to distinguish that it was particularly remarkable for its beauty, being" fliit, and partly covered with yellow sand ; in the background were chains of low hills. At 1 o'clock P.M. we anchored nt a considerable distance (six miles) from Madras. The anchoring-place here is the most dangerous in the world, the ground-swell being so strong that at no time can large vessels approach near the town, and many weeks often pass without a boat being able to do so. Ships, consequently, only stop a very short time, and there are rarely mure than a dozen to be seen riding at anchor. Lar^e boats, rowed by ten or twelve men, come alongside them, to take the passengers, letters, and merchandise ashore. The steamer stops here eight hours, which may be spent in viewing the town, though any one so doing runs a chance of being left behind, 140 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. as the wind is constantly changing. I trusted to the good luck which had always attended me during- my travels, and made one of the party that disembarked; but we had not got more than hair' way to land when I was punished for my curiosity. It began to rain most i'earfully, and we were very soon wet to the skin. "We took refuge in the first cofFee-house we saw, situated at the water's edge; the rain had now assumed a tropical character, and we were unable to leave our asylum. As soon as the storm had passed by, a cry was raised for us to return as quickly as possible, as there was no knowing what might follow. A speculative baker of Madras had come out in the first boat that reached the steamer with ice and biscuits for sale, which he disposed of very much to his profit. The angry heavens at length took compassion on us, and cleared up before sunset. We were then enabled to see the palace-like dwellings of the Europeans, built half in the Grecian and halt in the Italian style of architecture, stretching along the shore, and beautifully lighted by the sun. .Besides these, there were others standing outside the town in the midst of magnificent gardens. Before we left, a number of natives ventured to us in small boats, with fruit, fish, and other trifles. Their boats were constructed of the trunks of four small trees, tightly bound together with thin ropes, made of the fibres of the cocoa-tree ; a long piece of wood served as an oar. The waves broke so completely over them, that I imagined every instant that both boats and men were irretrievably lost. The good people were almo.-t in a state of nature, and seemed to bestow all their care on their heads, which were covered with pieces of cloth, turbans, cloth or straw caps, or very high and peaked straw hats. The more respectable among whom may be reckoned ihe boatmen who brought the passengers and mails were, however, in many cases, very tastily dressed. They had on neat jackets, and long pieces of cloth wrapped round their bodies; both the cloths and jackets were white, with a border of bhie stripe*. On their heads they wore tightly-fitting white caps, with a long flap hanging down as far as their shoulders. These caps, too, had a blue border. The complexion of the natives was a dark brown, or coffee colour. Late in the evening, a native woman came on board uith her two children. She had paid second-class fare, and was shown a small dark berth not far from the first cabin places. Her younger child had, unfortunately, a bad cough, which prevented some rich English ladv, who had likewise a child with her, from sleeping. Perhaps the exaggerated tenderness which this lady manifested for her little son caused her to believe that the cough might be catching ; but, be that as it may, the first thing she did on the following morning was to beg that the captain would transfer mother and children to the deck, which the noble-hearted humane captain immediately did, neither the lady nor himself caring in the least whether the poor mother had or had not even a warm coverlet to protect her sick child from the nig'ht cold and the frequent heavy showers. Would that this rich English bidy's child had only been ill, and exposed with her to the foggy night air, that she might herself ENTRANCE TO THE GANGES. 141 have experienced what it is to be thus harshly treated ! A person of any heart must almost feel ashamed at belonging 1 to a class of being's who allow themselves to be far surpassed in humanity and kindness by those who are termed savages. No savages would have thus thrust forth a poor woman with a sick child, but would, on the contrary, have taken care of both. It is only Europeans, who have been brought up with Christian principles, who assume the right of treating- coloured people according as their whim or fancy may dictate. On the 1st and 2nd of November we caught occasional glimpses of the mainland, as well as of several little islands ; but all was flat and sandy, without the least pretensions to natural beaut} 7 . Ten or twelve ships, some of them East Indiamen of the largest size, were pursuing- the same route as ourselves. On the morning of the 3rd of November the sea had already lost its own beautiful colour, and taken that of the dirty yellow Ganges. Towards evening- we had approached pretty close to "the mouths of this monster river, for some miles previous to our entering which the water had a sweet flavour. I filled a glass from the holy stream, and drank it to the health of all those near and dear to me at home. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon we cast anchor before Kadscheri, at the entrance of the Ganges, it being too late to proceed to Calcutta, which is sixty nautical miles distani. The stream at this point was several miles broad, so that the dark line of only one of its banks was to be seen. 4rh November. In the morning we entered the Hoogly, one of the seven mouths of the Ganges. A succession of apparently boundless plains lay stretched along- on both sides of the river. Fields of rice were alternated with sug'ar plantations, while palm, bamboo, and other trees, sprung up between, and the vegetation extended, in wanton luxuriance, down to the very water's edge. The only objects wanting to complete the picture were villages and human beings ; but it was not until we were within about five-and- twenty miles of Calcutta that we saw now and then a wretched village, or a few half-naked men. The huts were formed of clay, bamboos, or palm branches, and covered with tiles, rice straw, or palm leaves. Tiie larger boats of the natives struck me as very remarkable, and differed entirely from those 1 saw at Madras. The front portion was almost flat, being elevated hardly half a foot above the water, while the stern was about sown feet high. The first grand-looking building, a cotton mill, is situated fifteen miles below Calcutta, and a cheerful dwelling-house is attached. From this point up to Calcutta, both banks of the Hoogly are lined with palaces built in the Greco-Italian style, and richly provided with pillars and terraces. We flew too quickly by, unfortunately, to obtain more than a mere passing glimpse of them. Numbers of large vessels either passed us or were sailing in the same direction, and steamer after steamer flitted by, tugging vessels after them : the scene became more busy and more strange every moment, and everything gave signs that we were approaching an Asiatic city of the first magnitude. 142 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. We anchored at Gardenrich, four miles below Calcutta. Nothing^ gave me more trouble during my travels than finding lodgings, as it was sometimes impossible by mere signs and gestures to make the natives understand where 1 wanted to go. In the present instance,, one of the engineers interested himself so far in my behalf as to land with me, and to hire a palanquin, and direct the natives where to take me. I was overpowered by feelings of the most disagreeable kind the first time I used a palanquin. I could not help feeling how degrading it was to human beings to employ them as beasts of burden. The palanquins are five feet long and three feet high, with sliding doors and jalousies : in the inside they are provided with mattrasses and cushions, so that a person can lie down in them as in a bed- Four porters are enough to carry one of them about the town, but eight are required for a longer excursion. They relieve each other at short intervals, and run so quickly that they go four miles in an hour, or even in three-quarters of an hour. These palanquins, being painted black, looked like so many stretchers, carrying corpses to the churchyard or patients to the hospital. On the road to the town I was particularly struck with the mag- nificent gauths (piazzas), situated on the banks of the Hoogly, and from which broad flights of steps lead down to the river. Before these gauths are numerous pleasure and other boats. The most magnificent palaces lay around, in the midst of splendid gardens, into one of which the palanquin-bearers turned, and set me down under a handsome portico before the house of Herr Heilgers, to whom I had brought letters of recommendation. The young and amiable mistress of the house greeted me as a countrywoman (she was from the north and I from the south of Germany), and received me most cordially. I was lodged with Indian luxury, having a draw- ing-room, a bed-room, and a bath-room especially assigned to me. I happened to arrive in Calcutta at the most unfavourable period possible. Three years of unfruitfulness through almost the whole of Europe had been followed by a commercial crisis, which threatened the town with entire destruction. Every mail from Europe brought intelligence of some failure, in which the richest firms here were in- volved. No merchant could say, " I am worth so much ;" the next post might inform him that he was a beggar. A feeling of dread and anxiety had seized every family. The sums already lost in Eng- land and this place were reckoned at thirty millions of pounds sterling, and yet the crisis was far from being at an end. Misfortunes of this kind fall particularly hard upon persons who y like the Europeans here, have been accustomed to every kind of com- fort and luxury. JVo one can have any idea of the mode of life in India. Each family has an entire palace, the rent of which amounts- to two hundred rupees (20), or more, a month. The household is composed of from twenty-five to thirty servants; namely two cooks,. a scullion, two water-carriers, four servants to wait at table, four housemaids, a lamp-cleaner, and half-a-dozen seis, or grooms. Besides this, there are at least six horses, to every one of which there is a CALCUTTA MODE OF LIFE OF THE EUBOPEANS. 143 separate groom; two coachmen, two gardeners, a nurse and servant for each child, a lady's maid, a girl to wait on the nurses, two tailors, two men to work the punkahs, and one porter. The wages vary from four to eleven rupees (8s. to 1 2.?.) a month. IS' one of the domestics are boarded, and but few of them sleep in the house : they are mostly married, and eat and sleep at home. The only portion of their dress which they have given to them is their turban and belt ; they are obliged to find the rest themselves, and also to pay for their own washing. The linen belonging to the family is never, in spite of the number of servants, washed at home, but i? all put out;, at the cost of three rupees (65.) for a hundred articles. The amount of linen used is something extraordinary ; everything is white, and the whole is generally changed twice a day. Provisions are not dear, though the contrary is true of horses, carriages, furniture, and wearing apparel. The last three are imported from Europe ; the horses come either from Europe, New Holland, or Java. In some European families that I visited there were from sixty to seventy servants, and from fifteen to twenty horses. In my opinion, the Europeans themselves are to blame for the large suras they have to pay for servants. They saw the native princes and rajahs surrounded by a multitude of idle people, and, as Europeans, they did not wish to appear any way inferior. Gradually the custom became a necessity, and it would be difficult to find a case where a more sensible course is pursued. It is true that I was informed that matters could never be altered as long as the Hindoos were divided into castes. The Hindoo who cleans the room would on no account wait at table, while the nurse thinks herself far too good ever to soil her hands by cleaning the child's washing basin. There may certainly be some truth in this, but still every family cannot keep twenty, thirty, or even more servants. In China and Singapore 1 was struck with the number of servants, but they are not half, nay, not a third, so numerous as they are here. The Hindoos, as is well known, are divided into four castes the Brahmins, Khetries, Bices, and Sooders. They all sprang from the body of the god Brahma : the first from his mouth, the second from his shoulders, the third from his belly and thighs, and the fourth from his feet. From the first class are chosen the highest officers of state, the priests, and the teachers of the people. Members of this class alone are allowed to peruse the holy books ; they enjoy the greatest consideration ; and, if they happen to commit a crime, are far le>s severely punished than persons belonging to any of the other castes. The second class furnishes the inferior officials and soldiers; the third the merchants, workmen, and peasants; while the fourth and last provides servants for the other tiiree. Hindoos of all castes, ho;vever, nter service when compelled by poverty to do so, but there is still a distinction in the kind of work, as the higher castes are allowed to perform only that of the cleanest kind. It is impossible for a person of one caste to be received into .another, or to intermarry with any one belonging to it. If a Hindoo leaves his native land or takes food from a Paria, he is turned out ot 14di A WOMAN'S JOUENEY ROUSD THE WOKLD. his caste, and can only obtain re-admission on the payment of a very large sum. Besides these castes, there is a fifth class the Farias. The lot of these poor creatures is the most wretched that can be imagined. They are so despi.-ed by the other four castes, that no one will hold the slightest intercourse with them. If a Hindoo happens to touch a Piiria as he is passing", he thinks himself defiled, and is obliged to bathe immediately. The Farias are not allowed to enter any temple, and have particular places set apart for their dwellings. They are miserably poor, and live in the most wretched huts; their food consists of all kinds of offal, and even diseased cattle ; they go about nearly naked, or with only a few rags at most on them, and perform the hardest and commonest work. The four castes are subdivided into an immense number of sects, seventy of which are allowed to eat meat, while others are compelled to abstain from it altogether. Strictly speaking, the Hindoo religion forbids the spilling of blood, and consequently the eating of meat ; but the seventy sects just mentioned are an exception. There are, too, certain religious festivals, at which animals are sacrificed. A cow, however, is never killed. The food of the Hindoos consists principally of rice, fruit, fish, and vegetables. They are very moderate in their living, and have only two simple meals a day one in the morning and the other in the evening. Their general drink is water or milk, varied sometimes with cocoa wine. The Hindoos are of the middle height, slim, and delicately formed ; their features are agreeable and mild; the face is oval, the nose sharply chiselled, the lip by no means thick, the eye fine and soft, and the hair smooth and black. Their complexion varies, according to locality, from daik to light brown ; among 1 the upper classes, some of them, especially the women, are almost white. There are a great number of Mahomedans in India ; and, as they are extremely skilful and active, most trades and professions are in their hands. They also willingly hire themselves as servants to Europeans. Men here do that kind of work which we are accustomed to see performed by women. Thev embroider with white wool, coloured silk, and gold ; make ladies' head-dresses, wash and iron, mend the linen, and even take situations as nurses for little children. There are a few Chinese, too, here, most of whom are in the shoemaking trade. Calcutta, the capital of Bengal, is situated on the Hoogly, which at this point is so deep and broad, that the largest men-of-war and East Indiameii can lie at anchor before the town. The population consists of about 600,000 ?ouls, of whom, not, counting 1 the English troops, hardly more than 2.000 are Europeans and Americans. The town is divided inio several poitions namely, the Business-town, the Black-town, and the European quarter. The Business-town and JJhu-k-towri are very ugly, contuining narrow, crooked streets, filled with wretched houses and miserable huts, between which there are warehouses, counting-houses, and now and then some palace or olln-r. PBINCIPAL OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN CALCUTTA. 145 Narrow paved canals run through all the streets, in order to supply the necessary amount of water for the numerous daily ablutions of the Hindoos. The Business-town and Black-town are always so densely crowded, that, when a carriage drives through, the servants are obliged to get down and run on before, in order to warn the people, or push them out of the way. The European quarter of the town, however, which is often termed the City of Palaces a name which it richly merits is, on the contrary, very beautiful. Every good-sized house, by the way, is called, as it is in Venice, a palace. Most of these palaces are situated in gardens surrounded by high walls; they seldom join one another, for which reason there are but few imposing squares or streets. With the exception of the governor's palace, none of these buildings can be compared for architectural beauty and richness with the large palaces of Home, Florence, and Venice. Most of them are only distin- guished from ordinary dwelling-houses by a handsome portico upon brick pillars covered with cement, and terrace-like roofs. Inside, the rooms are large and lofty, and the stairs of greyish marble, or even wood ; but neither in doors nor out are there any tine statues or sculptures. The palace of the governor is, as I before said, a magnificent building one that would be an ornament to the finest city in the world. It is built in the form of a horse-shoe, with a handsome cupola in the centre : the portico, as well as both, the wings, is sup- ported upon columns. The internal arrangements are as bad as can possibly be imagined, the supper-room being, for instance, a story higher than the ball-room. In both these rooms there is a row of columns on each side, and the floor of the latter is composed of Agra marble. The pillars and walls are covered with a white cement, which is equal to marble for its polish. The private rooms are not worth looking at; they merely afford the spectator an opportunity of admiring- the skill of the architect, who has managed to turn the large space at his command to the smallest imaginable profit. Amonif the other buildings worthy of notice are the Town-hall, the iiospitiil, the Museum, Ochterlony's Monument, the Mint, and the English Cathedral. The lown-hall is large and handsome. The hall itself extends through one entire story. There are a few monuments in white marble to the memory of several distinguished men of modern times. It is here that all kinds of meetings are held, all speculations and undertakings discussed, and concerts, balls, and other entertainments given. The hospital consists of several small houses, each standing in the midst of a grass plot. The male patients are lodged in one house, the females and children in a second, while the lunatics are confined in the third. The wards are spacious, airy, and excessively clean. Only Christians are received as patients. The hospital for natives is similar, but considerably smaller. The patients are received for nothing, and numbers who cannot be accom- modated in the building itself are supplied with drugs and medi- 14,6 A WOMAN'S JOUENEY ROUND THE WOELD. The Museum, which was only founded in 1836, possesses, con- sidering the short space of time that has elapsed since its establish- ment, a very rich collection, particularly of quadrupeds and skeletons, but there are very few specimens of insects, and most of those are injured. In one of the rooms is a beautifully-executed model of the celebrated Tatch in Agra ; several sculptures and bas-reliefs were lying around. The figures seemed to me very clumsy ; the archi- tecture, however, is decidedly superior. The museum is open daily. I visited it several times, and on every occasion, to my great asto- nishment, met a number of natives, who seemed to take the greatest interest in the objects before them. Ochterlony's Monument is a simple stone column, 165 feet in height, standing 1 , like a large note of admiration, on a solitary grass- plot, in memory of General Ochterlony, who was equally celebrated as a statesman and a warrior. Whoever is not afraid of mounting 222 steps will be recompensed by an extensive view of the town, the river, and the surrounding country ; the last, however, is very mono- tonous, consisting of an endless succession of plains, bounded only by the horizon. Not far from the column is a neat little mosque, whose countless towers and cupolas are ornamented with gilt metal balls, which glitter and glisten like so many stars in the heavens. It is surrounded by a pretty court-yard, at the entrance of which those who wish to enter the mosque are obliged to leave their shoes. I complied with this regulation, but did not feel recompensed for so doing, as I saw merely pillars. Glass lamps were suspended from the roof and walls, an'i the floor was paved with Agra marble, which is very common in Calcutta, being brought down the Ganges. The Mint presents a most handsome appearance ; it is built in the pure Grecian style, except that it is not surrounded by pillars on all its four sides. The machinery in it is said to be especially good, surpassing anything of the kind to be seen even in Europe. I am unable to express any opinion on the subject, and can only say that all I saw appeared excessively ingenious and perfect. The metal is softened by heat, and then flattened into plates by means of cylinders. These plates are cut into strips and stamped. The rooms in which the operations take place are spacious, lofty, and airy. The motive power is mostly steam. Of all the Christian places of worship, the English Cathedral is the most magnificent. It is built in the Gothic style, with a fine large tower rising 1 above half-a-dozen smaller ones. There are other churches with Gothic towers, but these edifices are all extremely simple in the interior, with the exception of the Armenian church, which has the wall near the altar crowded with pictures in gold frames. The notorious " Black Hole," in which the Rajah Suraja Dowla cast 150 of the principal prisoners when he obtained possession of Calcutta in 1756, is at present changed into a warehouse. At tho entrance stands an obelu-k fifty feet high, and on it arc inscribed the names of his victims. The Botanical Garden lies five miles distant from the town. It PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN CALCUTTA. 147 was founded in the year 1743, but is more like a natural park than a garden, as it is by no means so remarkable for its collection of flowers and plants as for the number of trees and shrubs, which are distributed here and there with studied negligence in the midst of large grass plots. A neat little monument, with a marble bust, is erected to the memory of the founder. The most remarkable objects are two banana-trees. These trees belong to the fig-tree species, and sometimes attain a height of forty feet. The fruit is very small, round, and of a dark red; it yields oil when burnt. When the trunk has reached an elevation of about fifteen feet, a number of small branches shoot out horizontally in all directions, and from these a quantity of threadlike roots descend perpendicularly to the ground, in which they soon tirmly fix themselves. When they are sufficiently grown, they send out snoots like the parent trunk; and this process is repeated ad infinitum, so that it is easy to understand how a single tree may end by forming a whole forest, in which thousands may find a cool and shady retreat. This tree is held sacred by the Hindoos. They erect altars to the god Rama beneath its shade, and there, too, the Brahmin instructs his scholars. The oldest of these two trees, together with its family, already describes a circumference of more than (>00 i'cet, and the original trunk measures nearly fifty feet round. Adjoining the Botanical Garden is the Bishop's College, in which the natives are trained as missionaries. After the Governor's Palace it is the finest building in Calcutta, and consists of two main buildings and three wings. One of the main buildings is occupied by an ex- tremely neat chapel. The library, which is a noble-looking room, contains a rich collection of the works of the best authors, and is thrown open to the pupils; but their industry does not appear to equal the magnificence of the arrangements, for, on taking a book from the bookcase, I immediately let it fall again and ran to the other end of the room; a swarin of bees had flown upon me from out the bookcase. The dining and sleeping rooms, as well as all the other apartments, are so richly and conveniently furnished, that a person might easily suppose that the establishment had been founded for the sons of the richest English families, who were 80 accustomed to comfort from their tenderest infancy that they were desirous of transplanting it to all quarters of the globe; but no one would ever imagine the place had been built for " the labourers in the vineyard of the Lord. " I surveyed this splendid institution with a sadder heart than I might have done, because I knew it was intended for the natives, who had first to put off their own simple mode of life, and accustom thern- sclves to convenience and superfluity, only to wander forth into the woods and wildernesses, and exercise their office in the midst of savages and barbarians. Among the sights of Calcutta may be reckoned the garden of the chief judge, Mr. Lawrence Peel, which is equally interesting to the botanist and the amateur, and which, in rare flowers, plants, and trees, is much richer than the Botanical Garden itself. The noble park, laid out with consummate skill, the luxuriant lawns, interspersed 148 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WORLD. and bordered with flowers and plants, the crystal ponds, ihe shady alleys, with their bosquets and gigantic trees, all combine to form a perfect paradise, in the midst of which stands the palace of the fortu- nate owner. Opposite this park, in the large village of Alifaughur, i.s situated a modest little house, which is the birthplace of much that is good. It contains a small surgery, and is inhabited by a native who has studied medicine. Here the natives may obtain both advice and medicine for nothing. This kind and benevolent arrangement is due to Lady Julia Cameron, wife of the law r member of the Supreme Council of India, Charles Henry Cameron. I had the pleasure of making this lady's acquaintance, and found hev to be, in every respect, an ornament to her sex. Wherever there is any good to be done, she is sure to take the lead. In the years 1846-7 she set on foot subscriptions for the starving Irish, writing to the most distant provinces, and calling upon every Englishman to contribute his mite. In this manner she collected the large sum of 80,000 rupees (8,000.) Lady Peel has distinguished herself al.ral of his adoptive father. A VISIT TO THE EAJAH OF BENAKES. 171 held an enormously large umbrella over our heads. The driver sat upon the neck of the animal, and pricked it now and then between the ears with a sharp-pointed iron rod. The young- prince, with his attendant and servants, took their places upon the other elephants. Several officers on horseback rode at our side, two soldiers with drawn sabres ran in front of the party to clear the way, and upwards of a dozen soldiers, also with drawn sabres, surrounded us, while a few mounted soldiers brought up the rear. Although the motion of the elephant is quite as jolting and unpleasant as that of the camel, this truly Indian ride afforded me great pleasure. When we had arrived at the garden, the young prince seemed by his proud look to ask whether we were not charmed with its magni- ficence. Our delight was, unfortunately, assumed, for the garden was far too plain to deserve much praise. In the backg'round of the g'arden stands a somewhat ruinous royal summer palace. As we were about leaving the garden, the gardener brought us some beautiful nosegays and delicious fruits a custom universal in India. Outside the garden was a very large water-basin, covered with handsome blocks of stone ; broad steps led up to the water, and at the corner stood beautiful kiosk*, ornamented with tolerably well- executed reliefs. The Eajah of Benares receives from the English Government an annual pension of one lac, that is, 100,000 rupees (10,000). He is said to receive as much more from his property, and nevertheless to be very much in debt. The causes of this are his great extravagance in clothes And jewellery, his numerous wives, servants, horses, camels, and elephants, &c. I was told that the prince has forty wives, about a thousand servants and soldiers, a hundred horses, fifty camels, and twenty elephants. On the following- morning- the Eajah sent to inquire how the excursion had pleased us, and presented me with confectionery, sweet- meats, and the rarest fruits ; among others, grapes and pomegranates, which at this time of the year are scarce. They came from Cabul, which is about 700 miles distant from this place. Finally, 1 must mention that for many years no one has died in the palace which the llajah occupies. The reason of this is said to be the following : " One of the rulers of this palace once asked a Brahmin, what would become of the soul of any one who died in the palace. The Brahmin answered that it would go to heaven. The .Rajah, repeated the same question ninety-nine times, and always received the same answer. But on asking the hundredth time the Brahmin lost patience, and answered that it would go into a donkey." -Since that time every one, from the prince to the meanest servant, leaves the palace as soon as they feel themselves unwell. None of them are desirous of continuing after death the part which they have, perhaps, so frequently commenced in this life. While in Benares I had two opportunities of seeing the so-called martyrs of the Fakirs (a priestly sect of the Hindoos). These martyrs 172 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY HOUND THE WOULD. impose upon themselves the most various tortures : for exam pie, they stick an iron hook through their flesh, and have themselves drawn up to a height of twenty or five-and-twenty feet ; or they stand several hours in the day upon one foot, and at the same time stretch their arms in the air,'or hold heavy weights in various positions, turn round in a circle for hours together, tear the flesh off their bodies, &c. They frequently torment themselves so much as to be in danger of their lives. There martyrs are still tolerably venerated by the people ; however, there are at the present time but a few more remaining. One of the two whom I saw held a heavy axe over his head, and had taken the bent attitude of a workman hewing wood. I watched him for more than a quarter of an hour ; he remained in the same position as firmly arid quietly as if he had been turned to stone. He had, perhaps, exercised this useless occupation for years. The other held the point of his foot to his nose. Another sect of the Fakirs condemn themselves to eat only a little food, and that of the most disgusting kind the flesh of oxen that have died, half-rotten vegetables, and refuse of every kind, even mud and earth ; they say that it is quite immaterial what the stomach is tilled with. The Fakirs all go about almost naked, smear their bodies with cow-dung, not even excepting the face ; and then strew ashes over themselves. They paint their breasts and foreheads with the symbolical figures of Vishnu and Shiva, and dye their ragged hair dark reddish brown. It is not easy to imagine anything more disgusting and repulsive than these priests. They wander about all the streets, preaching and doing whatever they fancy ; they are, however, far less respected than the martyrs. One of the gentlemen whose acquaintance I made in Benares was so obliging as to communicate to me some information as to the relation of the peasants to the Government. The peasant has no landed property. All the land belongs either to the English Govern- ment, the East India Company, or the native princes. It is let out altogether ; the principal tenants divide it into small Jots, and sublet these to the peasants. The fate of the latter depends entirely upon the disposition of the principal tenant. He determines the amount of rent, and frequently demands the money at a time when the crops are not harvested, and the peasant cannot pay ; the poor people are then obliged to sell the unripe crops for half their worth, and their landlord generally contrives to buy it himself in the name of another person. The unfortunate peasant frequently has scarcely a sufficiency left to keep life in himself and his family. Laws and judges there certainly are in the country, and, as every- where else, the laws are good and the magistrates just; but it is another question whether the poor ever receive justice. The districts are so extensive, that the peasant cannot undertake a journey of seventy or eighty miles ; and, even when he lives near, he cannot alwa} T s reach the presence of the magistrate. The business of the latter is so great, that he cannot himself attend to the details, and generally he is the only European in office, the remaining officials consisting of Hindoos and Mahomedans, whose character a lamentable fact is always BENARES THE MISSIONARY ESTABLISHMENT. 173 worse tlie more they come in contact with Europeans. If, therefore, the peasant comes to the court without bringing a present, he is generally turned away ; his petition or complaint is not accepted or listened to ; and how is he to bring 1 a present after being- deprived of everything- by the landlord? The peasant knows this, and therefore seldom makes a complaint. An Englishman ^unfortunately I have forgotten his name), who travelled in India for scientific purpose, proves that the peasants have now to suffer more than formerly under their native princes. In India, under the so-called " free English Government," I found a sad proof that the position of the slaves in Brazil is better than that of the free peasants here. The slave there has not to provide for any of his wants, and he is never burdened with too much work, as the interest of his master would then suffer; for a slave costs seven or eight hundred gulders (70 or 80), and it is to the interest of his owner that he should be well treated, that he may be longer of ser- vice. It cannot be denied that there are cases in which the slaves are tyrannically treated, but this is extremely rare. Several German and English missionaries reside in the neighbour- hood of Benares, and go constantly to the town to preach. At one of these missionary establishments is a Christian village, which con- tains more than twenty Hindoo families. Nevertheless, Christianity makes scarcely any advance.* I inquired of each of the missionaries how many Hindoos or Mahomedans they had baptized in the course of their labours : generally they said, " None;" very seldom, " One." The above-mentioned families result from the year 1831, when nearly the whole of India was ravaged by cholera, nervous fever, or famine ; the people died, and many children remained orphans, wandering* about without a home. The missionaries took these, and brought them up in the Christian religion. They were instructed in all kinds of trades, were housed, married, and their whole maintenance provided for. The descendants of these families are continually educated by the mission- aries, and strictly watched : as to new converts, however, there are unfortunately none. I was present at several examinations : the boj^s and girls seemed to have been taught well to read, write, reckon, and were well acquainted with religion and geography. The girls were clever embroiderers ; they did needlework- very well, and sewed all kinds of things ; the boys and men made tables, carpets, bound books, printed, &c. The director and professor of this excellent establishment is the mis- sionary, Mr. Luitpold ; his wife has the superintendence of the girls. The whole is sensibly and intelligently arranged and conducted ; Mr. and Mrs. Luitpold attend to theiTprofoffd* with true Christian love. But what are a few drops in an immeasurable sea ! * The dislike which the Hindoos evince towards the Europeans is chiefly in conse- quence of the latter showing no honour to the cow, of their eating ox-flesh, and drinking brandy; and iliat they spit in tln'ir houses, and even in the temples, and wash their mouths wilh their fingers, &c. Th-y rail the Kuropcans " Parangi." This disrespect is said to make the Hindoos dislike the Christian religion. CHAPTER XIII. ALLAHABAD, AGRA, AND DELHI. ALLAHABAD CATTNIPOOR A.GRA THE MAUSOLEUM OF SULTAN AKBAR TAJ-MEHAL THE RUINED TOWN OP FATIPOOU-SIKRI DELHI THE MAIN STREET PUBLIC PROCESSIONS THE EMPEROR'S PALACE PALACES AXD MOSQUES OLD DELHI RE- MARKABLE RUINS THE ENGLISH MILITARY STATION. PROM Benares, Mr. Law and myself travelled in a post-dock to Alla- habad. The distance, which amounts to seventy-six miles, occupies about twelve or thirteen hours. We left the sacred town on the 7th of January, 1848, at six o'clock in the evening, and early in the morning found ourselves already near Allahabad, at a long 1 bridge of boats which here crosses the Ganges. We left the post-dock, and were carried in palanquins to the hotel, .about a mile further on. When we arrived there we found it so occupied by some officers of a regiment on the march, that my tra- velling companion was received only upon condition that he would content himself with a place in the public-room. In these circum- stances, nothing remained for me but to make use of my letter of introduction to Dr. Angus. My arrival placed the good old gentleman in no little embarrass- ment : his house was also "already filled with travellers. His sister, Mrs. Spencer, however, with great kindness, at once offered me half of her own sleeping apartment. Allahabad has ^5,000 inhabitants. It lies partly upon the Jumna .(Deschumna), partly on the Ganges. It is not one of the largest and handsomest, although it is one of the sacred towns, and is visited by many pilgrims. The Europeans reside in handsome garden-houses outside the town. Among the objects of interest, the fortress with the palace is the most remarkable. It was built during the reign of the Sultan Akbar. It is situated at the junction of the Jumna with the Ganges. The fortress has been much strengthened with new works by the English. It serves now as the principal depot of arms in British India. The palace is a rather ordinary building ; only a few of the saloons are remarkable for their interior division. There are some which are intersected by three rows of columns, forming three adjoining arcades. In others, a few steps lead into small apartments which are situated in the saloon itself, arid resemble large private boxes in theatres. The palace is now employed as an armoury. It contains complete arms for 40,000 men, ;md there is also a quantity of heavy ordnance. In one of the courts stands a metal column thirty-six feet high, called Feroze-Schachs-Laht, which is very well preserved, is covered with inscriptions, and is surmounted by a lion. ALLAHABAD. 175 A second curiosity in the fort is a small unimportant temple, now- much dilapidated, which is considered as very sacred by the Hindoos. To their great sorrow they are not allowed to visit it, as the fort is not open to them. One of the officers told me that, a short time since, a very rich Hindoo made a pilgrimage here, and offered the commandant of the fortress 20,000 rupees (2,000) to allow him to make his devotions in this temple. The commandant could not. permit it. This fortress also has its tradition : "When the Sultan Akbar commenced building it, every wall immediately fell in. An oracle said that he would not succeed in its erection before a man volun- tarily offered himself as a sacrifice. Such an one presented himself,, and made only one condition, that the fortress and town should bear his name. The man was called Brog, and the town is, even at this time, more frequently called Brog by the Hindoos than Allahabad." In memory of the heroic man, a temple was erected near the for- tress, under ground, where he is interred. Many pilgrims come here annually. The temple is quite dark ; lights or torches must be used on entering it. It resembles, on the whole, a large handsome cellar,, the roof of which rests upon a number of plain columns. The wall& are full of niches, which are occupied by idols and figures of deities- A leafless tree is shown as a great curiosity, which grew in the temple and made its way through the stone roof. I also visited a fine large garden in which stood four Mahomcdan mausoleums. The largest contains a sarcophagus of white marble, which is surrounded by wooden galleries extremely richly and hand- somely decorated with mother-of-pearl. Here rests the Sultan. Koshru, son of Jehanpuira. Two smaller sarcophagi contain chil- dren of the sultan. The walls are painted with stiff flowers and miserable trees, between which are some inscriptions. One part of the wall is covered with a small curtain. The guide, pushed it with great devotion on one side, and showed me the impression of a colossal open hand. He told me that a great-great- uncle of Mahomet once came here to pray. He was powerful, large r and clumsy ; when raising himself up, lie stumbled against the wall and left the impression of his sacred hand. These four monuments are said to be upwards of 2oO years old. They are constructed of large blocks of stone, and richly decorated with arabesques, friezes, reliefs, &c. The sepulchre of Koshru and the impression of the hand are much venerated by the Mahomedans. The garden afforded me more pleasure than the monuments, especially on account of the enormous tamarind-trees. I thought that I had seen the largest in Brazil, but the ground, or perhaps the climate, here appears more favourable to this species of trees. Not only is the garden full of such magnificent specimens, but there are beautiful avenues of them round the town. The tamarinds of Alla- habad are even mentioned in geographical works. On one side of the lofty wall which surrounds the garden two- caravansaries are built, which are remarkable for their beautiful high portals, their size, and convenient arrangement. They presented an uncommonly lively appearance, containing people in all costumes, 176 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. horses, oxen, camels, and elephants, and a large quantity of wares in chests, bales, and sacks. 10th January. About three in the afternoon we left Allahabad, and continued our journey in a post-dock as far as Agra, with some short stoppages. The distance is nearly 300 miles. In twenty-two hours we reached Caunipoor (150 miles), on the Ganges, a town which is remarkable for its English settlement. The journey so far offered little change, an uninterrupted richly- cultivated plain, and an unfrequented road. With the exception of a few companies of military, we did not meet a single traveller. A party of military on the march in India resembles a small emi- gration company ; and, after seeing one, it is easy to form an idea of the enormous trains of the Persian and other Asiatic armies. The greater part of the native soldiers are married, as well as the officers (Europeans) ; therefore, when the regiment marches, there are nearly as many women and children as soldiers. The women and children ride, two or three together, upon horses or oxen, or sit upon cars, or go on foot with bundles on their backs. They have all their effects packed upon cars, and drive their goats and cows before them. The officers follow, with their families, in European carriages, palanquins, or on horseback. Their tents, house furniture, &c., are packed upon camels and elephants, which generally bring up the rear. The camp is pitched on both sides of the road on one side are the people, and on the other the animals. Caunipoor is a strong military station, with four handsome bar- racks ; there is also an important missionary society. The town possesses some handsome schools and private buildings, and a Chris- tian church, in pure Gothic style. 12th January. Towards noon we reached the small village of Beura. Here we found a bungalow ; that is, a small house with two or four rooms, barely furnished with the most necessary and plainest furniture. These bungalows stand upon the post-roads, and supply the place of hotels. They are built by Government. One person pays one rupee (2s.) a day for a small room ; a family, two rupees. The payment is the same in most bungalows, if the travellers remain twenty-four hours, or only half an hour ; it is only in a few that it is considered enough to pay half-price for staying a short time. At each bungalow a native is placed as superintendent, who waits on the travellers, cooks for them, &c. The control is carried out by means of a book in which each traveller writes his name. If there are no travellers a person may remain as long as he chooses ; when the con- trary happens, he cannot stay more than twenty-four hours. The villages which lie on the road are small, and appear very miserable and poor. They are surrounded by high mud walls, which give them the appearance of a fortification. After we had travelled three nights and two days and a half, we reached Agra on the 13th of January the former residence of the Great Mogul of India. The suburbs of Agra resemble, in poverty, the miserable villages before mentioned. They are composed of high walls of earth, within which are small dilapidated huts and barracks. A change was at THE MAUSOLEUM OF SULTAN AKBAK. 177 once apparent when we had passed through a stately gateway. We then suddenly found ourselves in a large open square, surrounded by walls, from which four lofty gates led to the town, the 1'ortress, and the suburbs. Agra, like most Indian towns, has no inn. A German missionary received me kindly ; and, in addition to his hospitality, was obliging enoug'h to show me personally whatever there was of interest in the town and neighbourhood. Our first visit was to the beautiful mausoleum of the Sultan Akbar, at Secundra, four miles from Agra. The porch which leads into the garden is a masterpiece. I stood before it for a long time amazed. The enormous building is raised upon a stone terrace, which is approached by broad steps ; the gate is lofty, and is surmounted by an imposing dome. At the four corners are minarets of white marble three stories high; unfortu- nately, their upper parts are already somewhat dilapidated. On the front of the gate are the remains of a stone trellis- work. The mausoleum stands in the centre of the garden ; it is a square building- four stories in height, each becoming narrower at the top, like a pyramid. The first sight of this monument is not very attractive, for the beauty of the g'ateway eclipses it ; hov/ever, it improves on a more detailed examination. The bottom story is surrounded by fine arcades ; the rooms are plain, the walls covered with a brilliant white cement, intended as a substitute for marble. Several sarcophagi stand inside. The second story consists of a large terrace, which covers the whole extent of the lower one ; in its centre is an open airy apart- ment with a light arched roof, supported by columns. Several small kiosks at the corners and sides of the terrace give to the whole a somewhat bizarre though tasty appearance. The pretty domes of the kiosks must formerly have been very rich and splendid, for on many there are still to be seen beautiful remains of coloured glazed tiles and inlaid marble-work. The third story resembles the second. The fourth and highest is the most handsome. It is constructed entirely of white marble, while the three lower ones are only of red sandstone. Broad-roofed arcades, whose exterior marble lattice-work is inimitably executed, form an open square, over which the most beautiful roof the blue sky spreads. Here stands the sarcophagus which contains the bones of the sultan. On the arches of the arcades, texts from the Koran are inlaid in characters of black marble. I believe this is the only Mahomedan monument in which the sarcophagus is placed at the top of the building 1 in an uncovered space. The palace of the Mongolian Sultan stands in the citadel. It is said to be one of the most remarkable buildings of Mongolian architecture. * The fortifications are nearly two miles in extent, and consist of * Many of tlie more recent Indian towns were built by the Mongolians, or were so mud) altered by them that they nltoRelher lost tb>ir original character. India was conquered by the Mongolians as early as the tenth century. 178 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. double and treble walls, the outer one of which is said to be seventy- five feet high. The interior is divided into three principal courts. In the first live the guards ; in the second, the officers and higher authorities ; in the third, which occupies the side towards the Jumna, stand the palace, the baths, the harem, and several gardens. In this court everything is made of marble. The walls of the rooms in the palaces are covered with such stones as agates, onyxes, jasper, cornelian, lapis-lazuli, &c., inlaid in mosaic-work, representing flowers, birds r arabesques, and other figures. Two rooms without windows are exclusively destined to show the effects of illumination. The walls and the arched roof are covered with mica slate in small silvered frames; fountains splash over. glass walls, behind which lights can- be arranged, and jets of water are thrown up in the centre of the room. Even without lights it glittered and sparkled most marvel- lously ; what must be the effect when innumerable lamps throw back their rays a thousandfold ! Such a sight enables one easily to under- stand the imaginative descriptions of the Eastern tales of " a thousand- and-one nights." Such palaces and rooms may be truly considered works of magic. Near the palace stands a small mosque, which is also entirely constructed of white marble, richly and artistically furnished with arabesques, reliefs, &c. Before leaving the fortress I was led to a deep underground vault, the former scene of numerous secret executions. How much inno- cent blood may have been shed there ! The Jumna Mosque, which the erudite affirm to surpass that of Soliman'*3 in Constantinople, stands outside the fortress, upon a high terrace near the river. It is of red sandstone, has the same wonderful domes, and was built by the Sultan Akbar. In the arches are to be seen remains of rich paintings in light and dark blue, intermixed with gilding. It is to be regretted that this mosque is in a rather dilapidated condition ; but it is hoped, however, that it will soon be completely restored, as the English Government have already com- menced repairing it. From the mosque we returned again to the town, which is, for the most part, surrounded by rubbish. The principal street, " Sander/' 7 is broad and cleanly paved in the middle with square stones, and at the sides with bricks. At both extremities of this street stand ma- jestic gateways. The houses of the town (from one to four stories- high) are almost entirely of red sandstone ; most of them are small, but many are surrounded by columns, pillars, and galleries. Several are distinguished by their handsome porches. The streets are narrow, crooked, and ugly ; the bazaars unimportant. In India, as well as in the East, the more costly wares must be sought in the interior of the houses. The population of this town is said to have amounted formerly to 800,000 ; it is now scarcely 60,000. The whole environs are full of ruins. Those who build can procure the materials at the mere cost of gathering them from the ground. Many Europeans inhabit half-ruinous buildings, which, at a small expense, they convert into pretty palaces. THE TAJ-31EHAL. 1?9 Agra is the principal seat of two missionary societies a Catholic and a Protestant. Here, as in Benares, they educate the offspring- of the children they picked up in 1831. A little girl was pointed out to me that hud recently been boug'ht of a poor woman for two rupees (45-). At the head of the Catholic mission is a bishop. The present one, Mr. Porg'i, is the founder of a tastefully-built church. In no similar establishment did I ever see so much order, or find the natives so well-behaved as here. On Sundays, after prayers, they amuse them- selves with decorous and lively g'ames ; while in the Protestant esta- blishments, after having worked all the week, they are compelled to pray all day long 1 , and their greatest amusement consists in being* allowed to sit for a few hours gravely before the house-doors. A person who parsed a Sunday in this country among- strict Protestants would imagine that God had forbidden the most innocent amusements. These two religious societies, unfortunately, are not on very amicable terms, and censure and persecute every slig'ht irregularity on the part of each other; by this iiu-aiis not setting 1 the natives living- round them ;i very g'ood example. My last visit was to the magnificent treasure of Agra, and, indeed, of all India the fain ha!. J had !v;i(i somewhere that this monument ouirlit to be visited last, as the others would not be admired at all after seeing 1 this.- Captain Elliot says : " It is difficult to irive a description of tin's monument ; the architecture is full of strength and elegance." Thr; Taj-Mehal was erected by the Sultan Jehoe (Dsehehoe) in memory of his favourite inuntaza, Zemani. Its building- is said to have cost 750,000. Properly speaking-, the sultan's memory is more perpetuated by this building- than that "of his favourite, for every one who saw it would involuntarily ask who erected it. The names of the architect and builder are unfortunately lost. Mary ascrib-; it to Italian masters ; but when it is seen that there are so mam/- other admirable works of Mahoincdan architecture, either the whole must be considered foreign or this must be admitted to be native. The monument stands in the centre of a garden, upon an open terrace of red sandstone, raised twelve feet above the ground. Ifc represents a mosque of an octagon form, with lofty arched ei! f . which, together with the four minarets that stand at the corners of the terrace, is entirely built of 'white marble. The principal dome rises to a heig-ht of 2(50 fr-ef, and is surrounded by four smaller ones, liound the outside of the mosque extracts from the Koran are inlaid in charact'TS of black marble. In the principal apartment stand Iwo sarcophagi, of which one contains the remains of the sultan, the other these of his favourite. Tin; lower part of the walls of this apartment, ;'s well as both sar- copln j-i ; are covered with costly mosaic-work of the most beautiful A marble lattice-work, six feet, hig'h, surrounding the two ttiiropuag-i, is a masterpiece of art. It is so delicate and finely worked, that it seems as if turned out of ivorv. The graceful columns and th" narrow cornices are also covered, above and below, with jasper, , &c. Among- these, I was shown the so-called "goldstone," M 180 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. which has a perfect gold colour, and is said to be very costly, even more so than lapis-lazuli. Two gateways and two mosques stand at a small distance from * the Taj-Mehal. They are built of red sandstone and white marble. If they stood apart, each would be considered a master-work ; as it is, however, they lose in attraction by their proximity to the Taj-Mehal, of which a traveller says, with full justice : " It is 'too pure, too sacred, too perfect, to have been constructed by men's hands angels must have brought it from heaven ; and one imagines there ought to be a glass shade over it, to protect it from every breath and every wind." Although this mausoleum is more than 250 years old, it is as perfect as if it was only just finished. Many travellers affirm that the Taj-Mehal produces a magical effect when lighted by the moon. I saw it during a full moonshine, but was so little pleased, that I much regretted, by this sight, having somewhat weakened my former impression of it. The moon's light gives a magical effect to old ruins or Gothic buildings, but not to a monument which consists of white brilliant marble. Moonlight makes the latter appear in indistinct masses, and as if partly covered with snow. Whoever first promulgated this opinion respecting the Taj-Mehal perhaps visited it in some charming company, so that he thought everything round him was heavenly and supernatural ; and others may have found it more convenient, instead of putting it to the test themselves, to repeat the statement of their predecessors. One of the most interesting excursions of my whole journey was to the ruins of the town of Fattipoor-Sikri, eighteen miles from Agra and six miles in circumference. We rode thither, and had ordered changes of horses, so as to be able to make the journey in one day. On our way, we passed at times over extended heaths, on one of which we saw a small herd of antelopes. The antelope is a kind of deer, but smaller in size. It is extremely delicate and prettily formed, and is distinguished by narrow dark-brown stripes along the back. The herd crossed the road before us without much timidity, passing over ditches and bushes, and leaping more than twenty feet at a time, with such graceful movements that they seemed as if dancing through the air. I was not less delighted by the sight of two wild peacocks. It afforded me peculiar pleasure to see these animals in a state of freedom, which we Europeans are accustomed to keep as rarities like exotic plants. The peacock is here somewhat larger than any I had seen in Europe ; the display of colours also, and the general brilliancy of the plumage, struck me as being finer and brighter. These birds are considered by the Indians almost as sacred as the cow. They appear to fully understand this kindness, for they are seen, like house-birds, walking about in the villages, or quietly resting 1 upon the roofs. In some districts, the Indians are so prejudiced in their favour, that no European can venture to shoot one of them without exposing himself to the greatest insults. Only four months since, two English soldiers fell victims to this neglect of Hindostanee customs. They killed several peacocks ; the enraged people fell upon THE RUINED TOWX OF FATT1 POOR-SIKH!. 181 them and ill-used them in such a way that they shortly afterwards died. Fattipoor-Sikri stands upon a hill ; the fortress walls, the mosque, and other buildings can therefore be seen from a distance. On both sides of the road, a short distance outside the walls, lie remains of houses or singie apartments, fragments of handsome columns, &c. With great regret I saw the natives breaking many of them, and converting them into building materials for their houses. The entrance to the fortress and town was through three hand- some gates, and over masses of rubbish and fragments. The view which here presents itself is much more impressive than that at Pompeii, near Xaples. There, indeed, everything is destroyed, but it is another and more orderly kind of destruction streets and squares appear as clean as if they had only been abandoned yesterday. Houses, palaces, and temples are free from rubbish ; even the track of the carriages remains uneffaced. Pompeii, moreover, stands on a plain, and it cannot, therefore, be seen at one glance ; its extent, too, is scarcely half so irreat as that of Sikri; the houses are smaller, the palaces not so numerous, and inferior in splendour and magnitude. But here a larger space is covered with magnificent buildings, mosques, kiosks, columned halls, and arcades, with everything that was in the ]K>\ver of art to create; and no single object has f-scaped the destructive influence of time all is falling into ruin. It is scarcely more than two hundred years since the town was in a flourishing state of wealth and mairniiicence, and it is hardly possible to divest the mind of the idea of a terrible earthquake having over- whelmed it. Unlike Pompeii, it was not covered by protecting ashes, but laid openly exposed to the weather. My sadness and astonish- ment increased at every step sadness at the terrible destruction, astonishment at the still perceptible magnificence, the number of splendid buildings, the beautiful sculptures, and the rich ornaments. I saw some buildings whose interior and exterior were so covered with sculptures, that not the smallest space remained bare. The principal mosque exceeds in size and artistic construction even the Jumna Mosque in Agra. The entrance porch in the fore-court is said to be the loftiest in the world. The interior arch measures 7 '2 feet, and the entire height amounts to 140 feet. The fore-court of the mosque is also one of the largest existing; its length is 436 feet, its breadth 408; it is surrounded by line arabesques and small cells. This court is considered almost as sacred as the mosque itself, in consequence of the Sultan Akbar, "the just," having been accus- tomed to pay his devotions there. After' his death, this spot was indicated by a kind of altar, which is of white marble, and of won- derful workmanship. The mosque itself is built in the style of the Jumna Mosque, and has, like that, four enormous domes. The interior is filled with sarcophagi, in which lie the remains either of relations or favourite ministers of the Sultan Akbar. An adjoining court also contains a great number of sepulchral monuments. The Sultan Akbar passed several hours every day in the Hall of Justice, and gave audience there to the meanest as well as the most M 2 182 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. important of his subjects. A single column, standing- in the centre of the hall, was the divan of the emperor. This column, the capital of which is marvellously executed, becomes broader towards the top, and is surrounded by a" beautifully-worked stone gallery, a foot high. Four broad stone passages or bridges lead into the adjoining apartments of the palace. The sultan's palace is less remarkable for size than for its sculptures, columns, ornaments, &c. Every part is over-richly furnished with them. I found less to admire in the famous Elephant gate. It is, indeed, loftily arched, but not so high as the entrance gate in the fore-court of the mosque ; the two elephants, which were very beautifully executed in stone, are so much dilapidated, that it is scarcely possible to tell what they are intended to represent. The so-called Elephant's Tower is in a better state of preservation. In some descriptions of this, it is stated that it is constructed only of elephants' tusks, and even of the tusks of those elephants only which were taken from enemies during Akbar's time, or had been captured by him in hunting 1 . This is," however, not the case ; the tower, which is sixty feet liigh, is built of stone, and the tusks are fastened on from top to bottom, so that they project out from it. The Sultan Akbar is said to have frequently sat upon the top of this tower, occupying himself by shooting birds. All the buildings, even the enormous wall, are of red sandstone, and not, as many affirm, of red marble. Many hundreds of small green birds have formed their nests in the holes and crevices of the buildings. On the 19th of January I left the famous town of Agra, in the company of Mr. Lav/, in order to visit the still more celebrated city of Delhi, which is 122 miles from Agra. There is an excellent post-road all the way. The country between AgTa and Delhi continues tolerably un- changed ; there' is no elevation to be seen. Far and wide, cultivated land alternates with heaths and sandy moors, and the miserable villages or small towns which lie on the road excite no desire to delay the journey even for a moment. A long and handsome chain bridge crosses the Jumna near the town of Gassanger. On the 20th of January, at four in the afternoon, we reached Delhi. Here I met with Dr. Sprenger, a very kind and amiable countryman. Dr. Sprenger, a Tyrolese, has won for himself, by his remarkable abilities and knowledge, a considerable reputation, not only among- the English, but throughout the whole learned world. He holds the position of Director of the College in this place, and but :.' ;-iliort time .since was requested by the English Government to go to Lucknnu, for the purpose of examining the library of the Indian King 1 of Lucknau, to make known th" valuable work's, and put the whole in order. He is a perfect niasf-f-y of the Sanscrit, the ancient and modern Persian, the Turki:-'h ; Arabic, and Hindostanee languages, and translates the most difficult of tlinn into English and German. He I^EW DELHI. 183 has already made the most valuable and interesting 1 contributions to literature, and will still continue to do so, as he is an extremely active man, and scarcely thirty-four years of age. Although he was on the eve of his departure for Lucknau, lie was, nevertheless, kind enough to become my Mentor. We commenced with the great imperial town of Delhi ; the town to which formerly the eyes not only of all India, but almost of ;., were directed. It was in its time to India what Athens was to Greece, and Rome to Europe. It also shares their fate of all its greatness only the name remains. 'The present Delhi is now called New Delhi, although it is already two hundred years old; it is a continuation of the old towns, of which there are said to have been seven, each of which was called Delhi. As often as the palaces, fortifications, mosques, &c., became dilapidated, they were left to fall into ruins, and new ones were l)uilt near the old one:-, in this way ruins upon ruins accumulated, which arc said to have occupied a space more than six miles in breadth, and :> in le!:g'th. If a great part oi" + iicm were nut already covered with a thin layer of raith, the.--;* ruins would certainly be the most extensive in the v, orld. , Delhi lies upon the Jumn;: -"ording to Bruckner, a population of oDO.OGO,* but I was informed that there was really only is nearly three-quarters of a mile long', and about a hundred feet broad; a narrow canal, scant of water and half filled with rubbish, runs through its entire length. The houses in this street are not remarkable either for magnitude or splendour; they are at most one story high, and are furnished below with miserable porches or an ;a!.- s, under which worthless goods are exposed for sale. I saw nothing* of the cosily shops, the numerous precious stones glittering 1 in the evening with the lamps and lights, of which many travellers speak. The pretty houses and the rich shops must be sought for in the bv-strei-ts near the bazaar. The manufactures which 1 saw consisted of gold and silver work, gold tissues and shawls. The. natives execute the gold and silver wares so tastefully and artistically, that liner cannot be found even in Paris. The tissues woven in gold, tit.- gold and silk embroideries and Cashmere shav/ls, are oi' the highest, degree of perfection. The finest Cashmere shawls cost here as much as 4,000 rupees (.400). The dexterity of the worki;:.-n appears still more surprising- after set-ing- the simple machines which they employ to ].;(. -:hieo their beautiful wares. It is extremely interesting to walk about iLo principal streets of Delhi in the evening-. There may be seen at once the modes of life of both the rich and the poor Indians. There is no town in which there are so many princes and nobles as in this. .Besides the pen- sioned emperor and his relations, whose number amounts to several thousands, many other deposed and pensioned regents and ministers * At tlie time of its greatest prosperity it had 2,000,000 inhabitants. 184 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE AVORLD. reside here. Their presence gives great animation to the town ; they are fond of going out in public, frequently make greater or less parties, and ride (always on elephants) either in the neighbouring- gardens, or in the evenings through the streets. In the day excur- sions, the elephants are decorated in the most costly manner with rugs and fine stuffs, gold lace, and fringe; the seats, called the ho wdahs, are even covered with Cashmere shawls ; richly-fringed canopies keep off the heat of the sun, or else servants hold enormous umbrellas for this purpose. The princes and nobles sit in these ho wdahs to the number of two or four, and are very gorgeously attired in Oriental costumes. These processions present a most beautiful appearance, and are even larger and more splendid than those of the Kajah of Benares which I have described. Each procession consists frequently of as many as a dozen or more elephants, fifty or sixty soldiers on foot and mounted, and as many servants, &c. In the evenings, en the contrary, they are not so pompous one elephant, together with a few servants, suffices ; they ride up and down the streets, coquetting 1 with females of a certain class, who sit richly dressed and with unveiled faces at open windows or outside galleries. Others ride noble Arabian horses, whose stately appearance is still more increased by gold- embroidered trappings and bridles inlaid w T ith silver. Between these riding parties, heavily-laden camels from far distant regions walk deliberately along. 'There are, moreover, not a few bailis, drawn by beautiful white oxen, which the less wealthy people or the above-mentioned women use. The bailis, as well as the oxen, are draped with scarlet cloths: the animals have their horns and the lower half of their feet painted brownish-red ; and round their neck is a handsome collar, on which bells are fastened. The most beautiful women peep modestly out of the half-open bailis. If it were not known to what class unveiled women belong in India, it would be impossible to tell their position from their behaviour. Unfortu- nately, there are more of this class in India than in any other country: the principal cause of this is an unnatural law, a revolting custom. The girls of every family are generally betrothed when they are only a few months old ; if, however, the bridegroom dies immediately , or at any time after the betrothal, the girl is considered as a widow, and as such cannot marry again. They then generally become dancers. The condition of widowhood is looke'd upon as a great misfortune, as it is believed that only those women are placed in this position who have deserved it in a previous state of existence. An Indian can only many a girl belonging to his own caste. To the various objects of interest in the streets already noticed must be added the jugglers, mountebanks, and serpent-charmers, who wander about everywhere, and are always surrounded by a crowd of curious people. I saw several tricks performed by the jugglers which were truly astonishing. One poured out fire and smoke" from his mouth; then mixed white, red, yellow, and blue powders together, swallowed them, and then immediately spit out each one separately and dry; some turned their eyes downwards, and when they again raised them the pupils appeared as if of gold ; they then bowed the head forward, and, NEW DELHI THE IMPERIAL PALACE. 185 on again raising it, the pupils of their eyes had their natural colour, and their teeth were gold. Others made a small opening in their skin, and drew out of it yards of thread, silk cord, and narrow rib- bons. The serpent-charmers held the animals by their tails, and allowed them to twine round their arms, neck, and' body ; they took hold of large scorpions, and let them run over their hands. I also saw several battles between large serpents and ichneumons. These little animals, rather larger than a weasel, live, as is known, upon serpents and the eggs of crocodiles. They seize the former so dex- trously by the neck that they always master them; the crocodile eggs they suck. At the end of the principal street stands the imperial palace, which is considered one of the finest buildings in Asia. It occupies, together with its adjoining buildings, an extent of more than two miles, and is surrounded by a wall forty feet high. At the principal entrance, a fine perspective view is obtained through several successive gateway.-, which is terminated in the back- ground by a handsome hall. This hall is but small, and is inlaid with white marble and rare stones ; the roof is arched over with mica, powdered over with small stars. Unfortunately, these will soon lose all their glittering brilliancy, as the greater portion of the mica has already fallen, and the remainder is likely to follow. At the back of the hall is a door of gilt metal, decorated with beautiful engraved work. In this hall the ex-monarch is accustomed to show himself to the people, who, from traditionary respect or curiosity, visit the palace. He also receives European visitors here. The handsomest parts of the imperial palace are the universally admired and magnificent audience saloon and the mosque. The for- mer stands in the centre of an open court; it is along, square building ; the roof is supported by thirty columns, and is open on all sides; .several steps lead up to it, and a prettily decorated marble gallery, two feet high, surrounds it. The present Great Mogul has so little taste, that he has had this divan divided into two parts by a very paltry partition wall. A similar wall adjoins both sides of the saloon, for 'what purpose I could not learn. In this divan is a great treasure: the largest crystal in the world. It is a block of about four feet in length, two and a half broad, and one foot thick ;* it is very transparent. It was used by the emperors as a throne or s-at in the divan. Now it is hidden behind the blank wall ; and if 1 had not known of its existence from books, and been very curious to see it, it would not have been shown to me at all. The mosque is indeed small, but, like the judgment-hall, it is of white marble, and with fine columns and sculptures. Immediately adjoining the mosque is the garden "Schalinar," which is said to have been formerly one of the finest in India, but has now quite fallen to decay. Heaps of dust and rubbish were lying in the court-yards; the buildings were almost like ruins ; and miserable barracks stood against * Some writers describe this colossal crystal as being twenty-five feet long. 1SG A WOMAN'S JOURNEY HOU:> T B THE WORLD. dilapidated walls. On account of the emperor's residence, it soon became necessary to build a new Delhi. On my entrance to the palace, I had observed a group of men collected together in the court-yard. An hour afterwards, when we were returning 1 from our visit, they were still seated there. We drew near to discover what it was that so attracted their attention, and saw a few dozen of tame birds seated upon perches quietly taking- their food from the hands of attendants, or else fighting for it. The lookers-on were, as I was told, nearly all princes. Some were seated upon chairs, others stood round, together with their followers. In their home dresses, the princes are hardly to be distinguished from their servants, and in education and knowledge they are certainly not much in advance of them. The emperor amuses himself with a diversion which is not more commendable. His troops consist of boys about eight or fourteen, They wear a miserable uniform, which in make and colour resembles the English ; their exercises are conducted partly by old officers and partly by boys. I pitied the young soldiers from my heart, and won- dered how it was possible for them to handle their heavy muskets and banners. The monarch generally sits for some hours every day in the small reception-hall, and amuses himself by watching the manoeuvres of his young warriors. This is the best time to get presented to his majesty. He is eighty-five, and at the time of my visit was so unwell, that I had not the good fortune to see him. The emperor receives from the English Government a yearly pen- sion of fourteen lacs (1,400,000 rupees=l40,GOO). The revenues of his own possessions amount to half as much more ; but with all this, he is not so well off as the Rajah of Benares. He has too large a number of people to maintain : of the descendants of the imperial family alone more than three hundred, as well as a hundred women, and two thou- sand attendants. If to these are added the numerous elephants, camels, horses, &c., it may be easily understood why his exchequer is always- empty. He receives his pension on the first of every month. It has to be brought to him under the protection of the English military, or it would otherwise be seized by his creditors. The emperor is said to be very discreet in raising his revenues by various means. For example, he confers honorary posts and appoints. officials, for which he requires considerable sums of money ; and can it be believed ! he always finds fools enough to pay for such absur- dities. Parents even buy appointments for their children. The present; commander of the imperial troops is scarcely ten years old. The most remarkable fact, however, is that the vizier, who manages the emperor's income and expenditure, not only receives no salary, but pays the emperor annually 10,000 rupees for this office. What sums must be embezzled to make up for this ! The emperor issues a newspaper in his own palace, which is in the highest degree absurd and laughable. It does not treat of politics or the occurrences of the day, but exclusively of domestic incidents, conversation, and relative affairs. It states, for example, " that the sultan's wife, A., owed the laundress, B., three rupees, and that NEW DELHI PALACES AND MOSQUES. 187 the laundress came yesterday to ask for her money; that the lady had sent to her imperial husband to ask for the sum. The emperor referred her to the treasurer, who assured her, that, as it was near the end of the month, he could not command a penny. The laundress was therefore put off until the next month." Or, " The Prince C. visited at such an hour the Prince D. or F. ; he was received in such a room ; stayed so long 1 ; the conversation was on this or that sub- ject," &c. Among- the other palaces of the town, that in which the college is located is one of the handsomest. It is built in the Italian style, and is truly majestic ; the columns are of uncommon height ; the stairs, saloons, and rooms are very spacious and lofty. A tine garden sur- rounds the back of the palace, a large court-yard the front, and a high fortified wall encloses the whole. Dr. Sprenger, as director of the college, occupies a truly princely dwelling in it. The palace of the Princess Begum, half in the Italian and half in the Mongolian style, is tolerably large, and is remarkable for its extremely 'handsome saloons. A pretty and hitherto well-kept garden surrounds it on all sides. The Princess Begum attracted great attention at the time before Delhi was under the English dominion, by her intelligence, enterprise, and bravery. She was a Hindoo by birth, and became acquainted in her youth with a German named Sombre, with whom she fell in love, and turned Christian in order to marry him. Mr. Sombre formed a regiment of native troops, which, after they were well trained, he offered to the emperor. In the course of time, he so ingratiated himself with the emperor, that the latter presented him with a large property, and made him a prince. His wife is said to have supported him ener- getically in everything. After his death, she was appointed commander of the regiment,' which post she held most honourably for several years. She died a short time since at the age of eighty. ( )f the numerous mosques of New Delhi, I visited only two, the Mosque Itoshun-ad-dnwla, and the Jumna Mosque. The former stands in the principal street, and its pinnacles and domes are splendidly gilt. It is made famous through its connection with an act of cruelt . the part of Sheikh Nadir. This remarkable but fearfully cruel monarch, on conquering Delhi in the year 1739, had 100,000 of the inha- bitants cut to pieces, and is said to have sat upon a tower of this mosque to watch the scene. The town was then set fire to and plundered. The Jumna Mosque, built by the Sheikh Djihan, is also considered a masterpiece of Mahomedan architecture ; it stands upon an enormous platform, to which forty stens lead up, and rises in a truly majestic manner above the surrounding mass of houses. Its symmetry is astonishing. The three domes, and the small cupolas on the mina- rets, are of whits marble; all tbe other parts, even the large slates with which the tine court-yard is paved, are of red sandstone. The inlaid ornamental work and stripes on the mosque are also of white marble. There are great numbers of caravansaries, frequently with very me portals. The baths are unimportant. 188 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. We devoted two days to making 1 an excursion to the more distant monuments of Delhi. We first stopped at the still well-preserved " Purana Kale." All the handsome mosques resemble each other much. This one, however, is distinguished by its decoration, the richness and correctness of its sculptures, its beautiful inlaid work, and its size. Three lightly arched and lofty cupolas cover the prin- cipal building", small towers adorn the corners, and two high minarets stand at the sides. The entrance and the interior of the domes are inlaid with glazed tiles and painted ; the colours are remarkably brilliant. The interior of every mosque is empty; a small tribune for speakers, and a few glass lustres and lamps, constitute the whole decoration. The mausoleum of the Emperor Humaione, very much in the same style as the mosque, was commenced by this monarch himself. But as he died before it was completed, his son Akbar carried out his intentions. The high-arched temple, in the centre of which stands the sarcophagus, is inlaid with mosaic-work of rare stones. Instead of window-panes, the openings are furnished with artistically- worked stone lattices. In adjoining halls, under plain sarcophagi, rest the remains of several wives and children of the Emperor Humaione. JXot far from this is the monument of Nizam-ul-din, a very sacred and greatly venerated Mahomedan. It stands in a small court, the floor of which is paved with marble. A square screen of marble, with four small doors, surrounds the sarcophagus. This screen is still more delicate and finely worked than that in the Taj-Mehal ; it is scarcely conceivable how it was possible to execute such work in stone. The doors, pillars, and elegant arches are covered with the most chaste reliefs, as fine and perfect as any that I have seen in the most artistic towns of Italy. The marble used for them is of remarkable whiteness and purity, worthy, indeed, of these great works of art. Adjoining this are several pretty monuments, all of white marble. They are passed by with some indifference when the most perfect of them all has been seen first. A great deal has been said about a large water basin, which is surrounded on three sides by cells, already much dilapidated ; the fourth side is open, and from it a beautiful stone staircase, forty feet broad, leads to the water basin, which is twenty-five feet deep. Every pilgrim would consider his pilgrimage of no account if he did not step in here immediately on his arrival. Divers plunge from the terraces of the cells to the bottom of the basin, and fetch out the smallest pieces of money which have been thrown in. Some are dextrous enough to catch the coin even before it touches the bottom. We threw in several coins, which they succeeded in bringing up every time, but I can scarcely believe that they caught them before they reached the bottom. They remained long enough under water each time, not only to pick the coin ifj), but also to look for it. The feat was certainly surprising, but not, as some travellers affirm, so remarkable that similar ones might not be seen elsewhere. OLD DELHI. 189 Our last visit on this day was to the beautiful monument of the Yizier Sofdar-Dchang, which is also a mosque. In this monument I was especially struck by the inlaid work of white marble in red sandstone upon the four minarets; it was so diversified and so delicate, so chastely executed that the most expert draughtsman could not have produced it more correctly and delicately upon paper. The same may be said of the sarcophagi in the principal temple, which is hewn out of a block of fine white marble. The monument is surrounded by a tolerably well-kept garden, laid out in the European style. At the end of the garden, opposite the mausoleum, stands a small palace, principally belonging- to the King- of Lucknau. It is at present kept in good condition by the few European inhabitants of New Delhi. It contains a few articles of furniture, and serves for the accommodation of visitors to these ruins. We remained here over night, and, thanks to the good-hearted and amiable Mrs. Sprenger, found every possible convenience we could desire. The first and most agreeable thing, after our long wandering, was a well-furnished table. Such attentions are doubly deserving-' of thanks, when it is remembered at what a great amount of trouble they are procured. It is necessary on such ex- cursions to take not only provisions and a cook, but also cook- ing utensils, table-services, bed-linen, and servants enough, in short, for a small establishment. The train of baggage, which is always sent on before on these occasions, resembles, a small emigration party. On the following morning we went on to Kotab Minar, one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings of the Patanas (from which people the Affghans derive their origin). The most wonderful part of this monument is the so-called " Giant's Column," a polygon with twenty-seven sides or half-round corners, and five stories or galleries, whose diameter at the basement is fifty-four feet, and whose height is twenty-six feet. A winding staircase of 386 steps leads to the top. This building is said to belong to the thirteenth century, and to have been built by Kotab-ud-dun. The column is of red sandstone, and only the exterior is of white marble ; decorations and wonderful sculptures are wound in broad .stripes around the column ; these are so finely and neatly chiselled as to resemble an elegant lace pattern. Any description of the delicacy and effect of this work would be far exceeded by the reality. The column is fortunately as well preserved as if it had only been standing about a hundred years. The upper part leans a little forward (whether artificially, as in the tower at Bologna, is not decided); its top is flat, like a terrace, which does not correspond with the remainder of the architecture. It is not known whether anything formerly stood upon it. The column was in its present condition when the English conquered Delhi. We mounted as far as the hig-hest point, and a most charming view of the whole remains of Delhi, the Jumna, and the unbounded plain, opened itself here before us. The history of the people who once ruled Hindustan may here be studied in the ruins of imperial 190 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY HOU^D THE WOULD. towns, lying one close beside the other. It was a great and imposing- prospect. Many places where magnificent palaces and monuments formerly stood are now cultivated fields. Vfherever the ground is broken up, fragments of ruins show themselves. Opposite the tower or column of Kotab-Minar stands a similar unfinished building, the base of which is considerably larger in cir- cumference than that of the finished one. It is supposed that these two towers belonged to a magnificent mosque,* of which some courts, gateways, columns, and walls still remain. These few remains of the mosque are remarkable for the perfect sculptures which covered the walls, gateways, &c., both outside and inside. The entrance-gateway has a considerable height. The columns in the courts a,re of Buddhist origin the bell with long chain is sculp- tured on them in relief. In the fore-court of the mosque stands a metal column similar to that at Allahabad, except that there is no lion upon its summit, and its height is not more than thirty-six feet. It is defaced by several marks and slight injuries, which are ascribed to the Mongolians, who, when they conquered Delhi, attempted in their destructive rage to pull down these columns ; but they stood too firmly, and all their exertions were insufficient to destroy any inscriptions on them. The remaining Patan or AfFghan temples and monuments which lie dispersed among' the other ruins resemble each other as much as they differ from the Mahomedan and Hindoo buildings. The monuments, of this kind generally consist of a small round temple, with a not very high cupola, surrounded by open arcades supported on pillars. Here, also, in the [neighbourhood of Kotab-Minar, a hospitable dwelling is to be found. A ruined building is fitted up, and three of the rooms are furnished. On the way homewards we visited the observatory of the famous astronomer, Dey Singh. If that at Benares has been seen, this may well be passed by. Both were built by the same architect, and in the same style; but that at Benares is well preserved, while the one here is already much dilapidated. Some travellers consider this memorial as one of the most wonderful works of Indian art. Near the observatory stands the old madrissa (school-house), a large building, with numerous rooms for teachers and pupils, and with open galleries and halls, in which the teachers sat surrounded by groups of youths. The building is rather neglected, but is partly inhabited by private persons. Adjoining- the madrissa stand a pretty mosque and a very hand- some monument, both of white marble. The latter was erected by Aurang Zeb, in memory of his vizier Ghays-al dyn Chan, the founder of the madrissa. It is as perfect in its execution as that of the saint Nizam-ul-din, and appears to have been erected by the same artist. The palace of Feroze Schah is near New Delhi. It is indeed somewhat in ruins, but there is much to be seen in the existing remains of the building. The fore-court of the mosque was a short * If these two towers did belong to a mosque, vhy were they built cf such diilorenk sizes? DELHI THE ENGLISH MILITARY STATION. 191 time since cleared with great labour of the rubbish and masses of stone which covered it, by the untiring- zeal of Mr. Cobb, the esteemed editor of the English Delhi News. It is in very good preservation. In this palace stands the third metal column Feroze-Schachs-Laht. The inscriptions upon it show that it existed a hundred years before the birth of Christ, and may therefore be considered as one of the oldest monuments of India, "it was brought here from Lahore at the time this palace was built. The Purana-Killa, or the old fortress of the palace of Babar, is much decayed. From the height and style of the remaining- frag- ments of gateways and walls, an idea may be formed of the magnitude of the palace. The ruins of Loglukabad are in an advanced state of dilapidation, and do not repay the trouble of a journey of seven miles. The other numerous ruins are little more than mere repetitions of those already described, with which, however, they cannot be com- pared in size, elegance, and beauty. They may be of gi-eat interest to -antiquarians and historians; but by myself, I candidly admit, they < not much valued. I must not neglect to mention the English military station, which is situated upon some low hills m>ar ?scw I )elhi. The peculiar formation of Qie ground renders a journey there extremely interesting : a district of MIS blocks of red sandstone, between which beautiful flowers .-rowing. There are numerous ruins here, much the same as in Uellii. CHAPTER XIV. JOURNEY PROM DELHI TO BOMBAY. THE THUGS OR STRANGLERS DEPARTURE CATTLE-MARKET BARATPOOR BIANA WELLS AND PONDS GOOD-NATURE OP THE INDIANS POPPY PLANTATIONS THE SUTTIS NOTARA KOTTAH DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN THE ROYAL PALACE OF ARMOKNEVAS AMUSEMENTS AND DANCES THE HOLY VILLAGE OF KESHO-RAE- PATUM. ITT order to reach Bombay I had two routes before me ; the one leads past Simla to the foot of the Himalayas, the other to the famous rock temples of Adjunta and Elora. I would gladly have chosen the former, and have penetrated as far as the principal chain of the Himalayas Lahore and the Indus ; but my friends advised me not to make the attempt, for the simple reason, that these mountains were covered with deep snow, in which case I must have postponed my journey for at least three months. As I was unable to wait so long 1 , I decided upon taking- the latter road. In Calcutta I had been recom- mended not to continue my journey beyond Delhi at all. They said the country was not under the control of the English Government, and the people were far less civilized. People endeavoured more espe- cially to excite my apprehension by terrible accounts of the Thugs or stranglers. These Thugs form a singular sect, whose object is robbery and murder, and who, like the Italian banditti, are prepared to undertake any atrocity for which they are paid. They must not, however, in any case shed blood, and dare only make away with their victim by strangling. The act is not considered as very crimimal, and the murderer absolves himself by a small present which he gives to his priest ; but, if he shed only one drop of blood, he falls into the deepest disgrace, is expelled from his caste, and abandoned even by his own associates. Many travellers affirm that the Thugs are a religious sect, and that they do not murder for the sake of plunder or of revenge, but in order, according to their belief, to ensure a meritorious action. I made many inquiries about this, and leamt from every one that it was no religious compulsion, but hatred, revenge, or desire of gain, which led to these acts. These stranglers are represented as possessing a most extraordi- nary dexterity in their abominable trade, united with the most untiring patience and perseverance ; they frequently follow the victims they have selected for months, and strangle them either while sleeping, or by stealing behind them and throwing a twisted cloth or a cord round their necks, which they draw tight with such rapidity and force that death ensues instantaneously. In Delhi I gained more information. I was assured that all these dangers were exaggerated ; that travellers were very rarely attacked JOURNEY FROM DELHI TO BOMBAY. 193 in India, and that the Thugs were much reduced in numbers. More- over, they did not make any attempt upon Europeans, as the English Government instituted the strictest search for the culprits. With regard, therefore, to the danger, I was tolerably at ease, but I had still to anticipate privation and fatigue. The first part of the journey was to Kottah, distant 290 miles. I had the choice of three modes of conveyance palanquins, camels, or oxen bailis. None of them are expeditious ; there are no high- roads, and no organized accommodation for travelling; you must retain the same men and animals to the end of the journey, and, at the utmost, cannot go more than from twenty to twenty-two miles in one day. For a palanquin it is necessary to engage eight bearers, besides several for the luggage. Althoug'h each does not receive more than eight rupees a-month, out of which he pays his own expenses, still the expense is heavy, because so many are required, and their return journey must be paid for. Travelling on camels is also expen- sive, and is the most inconvenient. I decided, therefore, on adopting the less costly mode of conveyance by oxen. As I travelled alone, Dr. Sprenger very kindly made all the necessary preparations; he drew up a written contract with the tscharidrie (waggoner) in Hin- dostanee to the effect that I was to pay him the half of the fare, fifteen rupees (1 105.), immediately, and the other half when we arrived at Kottah, to which place he was to bring me in fourteen days ; for every day over that time I had the right to deduct three rupees (6s.). Dr. Sprenger also sent one of his most trusty chepr: !>-.<* to accompany me, and his good wife furnished me with an excellent warm wrapper, and every kind of provision, so that my waggon would hardly hold all that I had. With a sorrowful heart I parted from my good country people. God grant that I may see them yet again during my life ! On the morning of the 30th of January, 1848, I left Delhi. The first day we made very little progress, only eighteen miles, which brought us to Faridabad ; the heavy awkward animals required to be first used to the draught. The first twelve miles of the journey afforded me some gratification, as along both sides of the road lav innumerable ruins, which I had visited with my friends only a few days previously. This, as well as the following nights, were passed in caravansaries. I had no tent no palanquins, and on this road there were no bunga- lows. Unfortunately, the caravansaries in the smaller villages are not to be compared with those in the larger towns ; the cells are rudely constructed of clay, their length is scarcely seven feet, and the small opening, only four feet high, is without a door ; but, to my astonish- ment, I found them always very cleanly swept, and I was also furnished with a low wooden stool, covered with net-work, upon which 1 threw my wrapper, and which served me for an excellent couch. The cheprasse laid himself, like Napoleon's Mameluke, before the entrance of my * The cheprasses are servants of theEnglish Government. They wear red cloth $cnrfs, and a brass plate on the shoulders, with the name of the town to which they belong engraved upon it. Each of the higher English officials is allowed to have one or more of these people in his service. The people consider them much superior to the ordinary servants. 194 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY EOUND THE WORLD. cell ; but he slept much more soundly, for, even on the first night, he did not hear the least of a very slmrp encounter which I had with an enormous dog that had been attracted by my well-rilled provision basket. 31st January. Towards noon we passed through the little town of Balamgalam, in which there is a small English military station, a mosque, and a very recently-erected Hindoo temple. We passed the night in the little town of ralwal. In this neighbourhood the peacocks are very tame. Every morning" I saw dozens of these beautiful birds on the trees ; they come into the fields, and even into the towns, to fetch food from the good-natured natives. 1st February. Our night's station on this day was the small town of Cossi. We had already been overtaken during the last mile by a number of natives, who were busily hurrying into the town, in and outside of which a considerable cattle-market was being held. This market presented a picture of the greatest confusion : the animals stood on all sides between a multitude of trusses of hay and straw, the sellers crying and praising their wares without cessation, and leading the buyers here and there, partly by persuasion and parti} 7 " by force, who also made no less noise than the former. I was most struck hy the innumerable cobblers, who set up their simple working implements between the piled-up bundles of hay and straw, consisting of small tables with thread, wire, and leather, and who were busily engaged at their trade, repairing the coverings for the feet. I remarked at this time, as well as on several other occasions, that the natives are by no means so indolent as they are generally. represented to be, but, on the contrary, that they avail themselves of every favourable opportunity of earning money. All the caravansaries at the entrance of the town were crowded, and there was no other alternative except to pass through the whole town to the other side. The town-gate had a very promising appearance, rising proudly and boldly into the air; I hoped to see corres- ponding buildings, and saw instead wretched mud hovels and narrow lanes ; so narrow, indeed, that the foot passengers were obliged to step under the entrances of the huts to allow our baili to pass them. 2nd February, A few miles distant from Mntara we turned "out of the beaten road which leads from Delhi to Mutra, a town which still remains under English Government. Matara is a pretty little town, with a very neat inosque, broad streets, and walled houses, many of which, indeed, are decorated with galleries, columns, or sculptures of red sandstone. The appearance of the country here is of monotonous uniformity boundless plains, on which orchards and meadows alternately present themselves, the latter apparently quite scorched up in consequence of the dry season. The corn was already a foot high ; but such large quantities of yellow flowers were mixed with it, that there was great difficulty^ in telling whether corn or weeds had been sown. The cultivation of cotton is of very great importance here. The Indian plant does not, indeed, attain the height and thickness of the Egyptian; however, it BAEATPOOE HINDON. 195 is considered that the quality of the cotton does not depend upon the size of the plants, and that the cotton of this country is the finest and the best. I observed upon these plains little houses here and there, built upon artificially-raised perpendicular mounds of clay, of from six to eight feet high. There are no steps leading to the tops of these mounds, the only means of access being by ladders, which can be drawn up at night. From what I could draw from the explanations of my servants, which, however, I only partially understood, they are used by families who live in retired places, for security against the tigers, which are here very frequently seen. 3rd February. Baratpoor. We passed a place which was over- grown, in broad patches, with misshapen stunted bushes a rare occurrence in this part of the country, where wood is scarce. My driver bestowed upon this tangled 'brushwood the high-sounding name of jungle. I should rather have compared them with the dwarfed bushes and shrubs of Iceland. The country beyond this woody district had a very remarkable appearance ; the ground was in many places torn and fissured, as if in consequence of an earth- quake. In the Caravansary at Baratpoor there were a great number of natives, soldiers, and particularly some very rough-looking men, of whom I felt inclined to be afraid ; I was no longer in the English territories, and alone among all these people. However, they be- haved themselves with the greatest civility, and greeted me in the evening and morning with a right hearty salaam. I think that a similar set of men in our own country would scarcely have shown me the same respect. 4th February. On the other side of the town I saw two fine monuments before the door, round temples with lofty cupolas, and carved stone lattice-work in the window openings. The fields and meadows were richly strewed with Indian fig-trees, a thing which I have scarcely met with anywhere else except in Syria and Sicily ; to the right of the road was a low rocky peak, whose highest point vras crowned by a fortress. The dwelling-houses of the commanders, instead of being sheltered by the walls, rose high above them, and were tastily surrounded by verandahs; on the terrace of the principal building was a handsome pavilion, supported upon pillars. The outer walls of the fortress extended down into the valley below. A Ye had proceeded about fourteen miles when we came upon some monuments which had a very unique appearance. On a small spot shaded by beautiful trees was a round wall formed cf a number of flagstones of seven feet high and four feet wide ; in the middle stood three monuments of a circular form, built of large square stones. The diameter of their tower part was about twelve feet, their height about six. They had no entrance. I also saw a new species of bird to-day. It was very similar in size and form to the flamingo, with beautiful 'pinion feathers; its plumage was tinged with a rich whitish-grey shade, the head was covered with (!<() red feathers. We rested this night at the somewhat large town of Jlindon. The only object which attracted my notice here was a y 190 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. palace with such small windows that they seemed more fitted for dolls than for men. 6th February. As I was about to leave the caravansary this morning-, three armed men placed themselves before my waggon, and, in spite of the exclamations of my people, prevented our starting-. At last I succeeded in understanding that the dispute was about a few pence, for having kept watch before the door of my sleeping-room during the night, which my people would not pay. The caravansary did not appear to the cheprasse very safe, and he had requested a guard in the evening from the se'rdar (magistrate). The people might have slept quite soundly in some corner of the court-yard, and, perhaps, have dreamt of watching, for, although I had looked out several times during the night, there was not one of them to be seen ; however, what can one expect for a few pence ? I satisfied them with a small present, upon which they made a regular military move- ment, and allowed us to proceed. If I had been inclined to be timid, I must have been in continual anxiety for several .days from the appearance of the natives. All of them were armed with sabres, bows and arrows, match- locks, formidable clubs bound with iron, and even shields of iron- plate. These arms were also carried by the cattle-tenders in the fields. But nothing disturbed my equanimity, although ignorant of the language, and with only the old cheprasse with me ; I always felt as though my last hour's were not yet come. Nevertheless, I was glad that we had passed by clear daylight the dangerous ravines and deep gorges through which our road lay for several miles. From these we entered a large valley, at the entrance of which was .an isolated mountain, surmounted by a fortress ; four miles further on, we came to a small group of trees, in the middle of which was a stone terrace, five feet in height, upon which was a life-size statue of a horse carved in stone. By the side of this a well was dug out ; a kind of cistern, built of large blocks of red sandstone, with steps leading up to the water. Similar wells and cisterns, some of which are much larger, screened by beautiful mango and tamarind trees, are frequently met with in India, especially in districts where, as in the present one, good springs are scarce. The Hindoos and Mahometans have the good belief that by the erection of works for general benefit they may more easily attain future happiness. When such water reservoirs and t groups of trees have been founded by Hindoos, several sculptured figures of their deities, or red painted stones, are commonly found placed on them. At many of the wells, and cisterns also, a man is placed, whose business it is to draw water for the weary travellers. However agreeable the erection of these reservoirs may be in many respects, there is one circumstance which detracts from their value ; the people always wash and bathe in the same ones from which they must procure their drinking water. But what objections will not thirst silence ? I filled my jug as well as the others. 7th February. Dungerkamaluma is a small village at the foot of a low mountain. A short distance from the station lay a true Arabian sand desert, but which was fortunately not of very great extent. JOURNEY FHOM DELHI TO BOMBAY. 197 The sand-plains of India are generally capable of being cultivated, as it is only necessary to dig a few feet deep to reach water with, which to irrigate the fields. Even in this little desert were a few fine-looking wheat fields. This evening I thought that I should have been obliged to make use of my pistols. My waggoner always wanted every one to give him the road ; if they did not do so he abused them. To-day we came upon half-a-dozen of armed traveller-waggoners, who took no notice of the calls of my driver, upon which he was enraged, and threatened to strike them with his whip. If it had come to blows, we should, no doubt, in spite of my aid, have come off the worst : but they contented themselves with mutual abuse and threats, and the fellows got out of the way. I have everywhere remarked that the Indians jangle and threaten a great deal, but that they never go beyond that. I have lived a great deal nmong the people and observed them, and have often seen anger and quarrelling, but never fighting. Indeed, when their anger lasts long they sit down together. The children never wrestle or pull each other .about, either in sport or earnest. I only once saw two boys engaged in earnest quarrel, when one of them so far forgot himself as to give the other a box on the ear, but he did this as carefully as if he received the blow himself. The boy who was struck drew his sleeve over his cheek, and the quarrel was ended. Some other children had looked on from the distance, but took no part in it. This good nature may partly depend upon the fact that the people eat so little flesh, and, according to their religion, are so extremely kind to all animals ; but I think still that there is some cowardice at the bottom of it. I was told that a Hindoo could scarcely be per- suaded to enter a dark room without a light ; if a horse or ox makes the slightest start, both great and small run frightened and shrieking away. On the other side, again, I heard from the English officers that the Sepoys were very brave soldiers. Does this courage come with the coat, or from the 'example of the English? During the last day I saw a great many poppy plantations. They present a remarkable appearance ; the leaves are fatty and shining, the flowers large and variegated. The extraction of the opium is performed in a very simple" but exceedingly tedious manner. The yet unripe poppy heads are cut in several places in the evening. A white tenacious juice flows out of these incisions, which quickly thickens by exposure to the air, and remains hanging in small tears. These tears are scraped off with a knife in the morning, and poured into vessels which have the form of a small cake. A second inferior quantity is obtained by pressing and boiling the poppy heads and stems. In many books, and, for instance, in Zimmerman's te Pocket-book of Travels," I read under this head that the poppy plants reached a height of forty feet in India and Persia, and that the capsules were as large as a child's head, and held nearly a quart of seeds. This is not correct. I saw the finest plantations 'in India, and afterwards also in Persia, but found that the plants were never more than three and, 2 N 198 A WOMAN'S JOUKNEY ROUND THE WORLD. at the most, four feet high, and the capsule about as large round as a small hen's egg. 8th February. Madopoor, a wretched village at the foot of some low mountains. To-day also we passed through terrible ravines and chasms, which, like those of yesterday, were not near the moun- tains but in the middle of the plains. The sight of some palms was, on the contrary, agreeable, the first I had seen since I left Benares; however, they bore no fruit. I was still more surprised to see in a place so destitute of trees and shrubs, tamarind and banyan or mango trees planted singly, which, cultivated with great care, flourish with incomparable splendour and luxuriance. Their value is doubled when it is known that under each there is either a well or cistern. 9th February. Indergur, a small unimportant town. We ap- proached to-day very much nearer to the low mountains which we had already seen yesterday. We soon found ourselves in narrow valleys, whose outlets appeared to be closed with high rocky wells. Upon some of the higher mountain peaks stood little kiosks, dedicated to the memory of the Suttis. The Suttis are those women who are burnt with the corpse of their husbands. According to the statement of the Hindoos, they are not compelled to do so, but their relations insult and neglect them when they do not, and they are driven out of society ; consequently the poor women generally give their free con- sent. Upon the occasion they are handsomely dressed and orna- mented, and frequently stupefied with opium almost to madness ; are led with music and singing 1 to the place where the corpse of the husband, wrapped in white muslin, lies upon the funeral pile. At the moment that the victim throws herself upon the corpse the wood is lighted on all sides. At the same time a deafening noise is com- menced with musical instruments, and every one begins to shout and sing, in order to smother the howling of the poor woman. After the burning the bones are collected, placed in an urn, and interred upon some eminence under a small monument. Only the wives (and of these only the principal or favourite ones) of the wealthy or noble have the happiness to be burnt. Since the conquest of Hindostan by the English these horrible scenes are not permitted to take place. The mountain scenery alternated with open plains, and towards evening we came to still more beautiful mountains. A small fortress, which was situated upon the slope of a mountain, quite exposed, presented a very interesting appearance ; the mosques, bar- racks, little gardens, &c., could be entirely overlooked. At the foot of this fortress lay our night quarters. 10th February. Notara. We travelled a long distance through narrow valleys upon roads which were so stony that it was scarcely possible to ride, and I thought every moment that the waggon must be broken to pieces. So long as the sun was not scorching on my head I walked by the side, but I was soon compelled to seek the shade of the linen covering of the waggon. I bound up my forehead tightly, grasped both sides of the car, and submitted to my fate. The jungle which surrounded us resembled in beauty and luxuriance that near Baratpoor, but it afforded me more amusement, as it was inhabited LAKABI KOTTAH. 199 by wild apes. They were tolerably large, with yellowish-brown hair, black faces, and very long 1 tails. It was very pretty to see how anxious the mothers were about their young 1 . When I startled them she took one upon her back, the other clung to her breast, and with this double weight she not only sprang from branch to branch, but even from tree to tree. If I had only possessed somewhat more imaginative power, I should have taken the forest for a fairy wood, for, besides the merry monkeys, I saw many remarkable things. The rock sides and debris to the left of the road, for example, had the most singular and varied forms. Some resembled the ruins of temples and houses, others trees ; indeed, the figure of a woman with a child in her arms was so natural, that I could scarcely help feeling a regret at seeing it turned into this dismal lifelessness. Further on lay a gate, whose noble artistic con- struction so deceived me, that I long sought for the ruins of the town to which it appeared to lead. Not far distant from the jungle is the little town of Lakari, situated upon the almost perpendicular declivity of a mountain ridge, and also protected by fortifications. A beautiful pond, a large well with an artificial portico, terraces with Hindoo idols and Mahomedan funeral monuments, lie in very attractive disorder. Before Notara I found several altars, with the sacred bull carved in red stone. In the town itself stood a handsome monument, an open temple with columns upon a stone terrace, which was surrounded with fine reliefs, representing elephants and riders. There was no caravansary at this place, and I was obliged to go about the streets with my cumbrous equipage in search of a lodging; but as no one would receive a Christian, not from any want of good nature, but in consequence of an erroneous religious opinion that a house which has been visited by an unbeliever is defiled (this opinion also extends to many other matters), there was no alternative leit for me except to pass the night in an open verandah. In this town I saw a circumstance which proved the amiability of the people. A donkey, that was maimed either from its birth or by an accident, was dragging itself with great exertion across the street, a task which it required several minutes to accomplish. Several people who were coming that way with their loaded animals waited with great patience, without making a single murmur or raising a hand to drive the creature on. Many of the inhabitants came out of their houses and gave it fodder, and every passer-by turned out of the way for it. This feeling of sympathy touched me uncommonly. llth February. On this, the thirteenth day of my journey, I reached Kottah. I was very well satisfied with my servants and driver, and indeed with the journey altogether. The owners of the caravansaries had not charged me more than a native, and had afforded me all the conveniences which the strict rules of religion allowed. I had passed the nights in open chambers, even under the open sky, surrounded by people of the poorest and lowest classes, and never received the slightest ill-treatment either by word or deed. I never 200 A WOMAN'S JOURJNEY ROUND THE WORLD. had anything stolen, and whenever I grave any little trifle to a child,* such as a piece of bread, cheese, or the like, their parents always endeavoured to show their gratitude by other acts of kindness. Oh, that the Europeans only knew how easily these simple children of nature might be won by attention and kindness ! But, unfortunately, they will continue to govern them by force, and treat them with neglect and severity. Kottah is the chief city of the kingdom of Rajpootan. Here, as in all those provinces which the English Government has left under the dominion of their native princes, there is an English official appointed, who bears the title of the " .Resident.'' These residents might be properly called "kings," or at least the kings' governors, since the real kings cannot do anything without their consent. These miserable shadows of kings dare not, for example, cross the boundaries of their own states without permission of the resident. The more important fortresses of the country have English garrisons, and here and there small English military stations are established. This control is, in some respects, beneficial to the people, in others injurious. The custom of burning widows is done away with and strictly forbidden, as well as the horrible punishment of being" trodden to death by elephants, or dragged along tied to their tails. On the other hand, the taxation is increased, for the king is obliged to pay a considerable tribute for the right of ruling according to the will of the resident. ' This naturally comes out of the pockets of the people. The King of Eajpootan pays annually 300,000 rupees (30,000) to the English Government. The resident at Kottah, Captain Burdon, was an intimate friend of Dr. Sprenger's, who had previously acquainted him with my speedy arrival. But, unfortunately, he was at that time inspecting the different military stations ; however, he had, before his depar- ture, made arrangements for my reception, and requested Dr. Holland to see them carried out. He carried his attentions so far as to send on books, newspapers, and servants to the last station, which, however, I missed, as my driver had turned off from the main road, during the last two days, into a shorter one. I reached the handsome bungalow of the resident, and found the house quite vacant ; Mrs. Burdon, together with her children, had accompanied her husband, as is generally the case in India, where frequent chang'e of air is very necessary for Europeans. The house, the servants and sepoys which were left, and the captain's palanquin and equipage, were placed entirely at my disposal ; and, in order to complete my happiness, Dr. Kolland was so good as to accompany me in all my excursions. 12th February. This morning, the king, Ram-Singh, who had been immediately informed of my arrival, sent me a quantity of fruits and sweetmeats in large baskets, his own riding elephant, handsomely caparisoned, an oiliccr on horseback, and some soldiers. I was very soon seated with Dr. Holland in the howdah, and trotted to the neighbouring town. Kottah contains about 30,000 inhabitants, * Children are generally considered as impure until the ninth year, and are therefore not subject to the laws of their religion. KOTTAH DE9CEIPTION OF THE TOWN. 201 and lies on the river Chumbal, in a far-stretching 'and, in some places, very rocky plain, 1,300 feet above the level of the sea. The town, which is "conspicuously situated, is surrounded by strong fortified works, upon which are placed fifty pieces of cannon. The, immediate neighbourhood is rocky, naked, and barren. The interior of the town is separated into three parts by as many gates. The first part is inhabited by the poorer classes, and appeared very wretched. In the two other parts the tradespeople and the gentry reside; they have an incomparably better aspect. The principal street, although uneven and stony, is sufficiently wide to allow carriages and ponderous beasts of burden to pass without hindrance. The architecture of the houses is in the highest degree original. The smallness of the windows had already attracted my notice in Benares, here they are so narrow and low that it is hardly possible to put the head out ; they are for the most part closed with finely worked stone lattice, instead of glass. Many of the houses have large alcoves ; in others there are spacious saloons on the first floor, which rest on pillars and occupy the whole front of the house; many of these halls were separated by partition walls into smaller open saloons. At botji corners of the hall were decorated pavilions, and at the further ends doors leading to the interior of the house. These halls are generally used as shops and places of business ; also as the resort of idlers, who sit upon mats and ottomans, smoking their hookahs and watching the bustle in the streets. In other houses, again, the front walls were painted in fresco with terrible-looking- dragons, tigers, lions, twice or thrice as large as life, stretching their tongues out with hideous grimaces ; or with deities, flowers, arabesques, &c., without sense or taste grouped together, miserably executed, and bedaubed with the most glaring colours. The numerous handsome Hindoo temples, all built upon loftv stone terraces, form an agreeable feature of the town. They are higher, more capacious, and finer buildings than those of Benares, with the exception of the Bisvishas. The temples here stand in open halls, intersected by colonnades, ornamented with several quadrangular towers, and surmounted by a cupola of from twenty to forty feet in height. The sanctuary is in the middle; it is a small, carefully enclosed building, with a door leading into it. This door, as well as the pillars and friezes, is -covered with beautiful sculptures; the square towers are quite as carefully constructed as those at Benares. Hideous statues and fanciful figures stand under the halls, some of which are painted in bright red colours. On the side walls of the terraces are arabesques, elephants, horses, &c., carved in relief. The royal palace lies at the extremity of the third part of the town, and forms a town within a town, or rather a fortress in a fortress, as it is surrounded by immense fortified walls, which com- mand the town as well as the country round it ; many large and small buildings are enclosed within these walls, but do not present anything remarkable beyond their handsome halls. Had the resident been in Kottah I should have been presented to the king, but, as it was not etiquette in his absence, I was compelled to put up with my disappointment. 202 From the town we proceeded to Armornevas, one of the neigh- bouring palaces of the king. The road to it was indescribably bad, full of rocks and large stones. I was astonished to see with what dexterity our elephant set his plump feet between them, and travelled on as quickly as if he was going over the levellest road. When I expressed my surprise to Dr. Holland that the king should not have a good road made to his residence, which he so often visited, he informed me that it was a maxim with all Indian monarchs not to make roads, for, according to their opinion, in case of a war, they offered too great facilities to the invasion of the enemy. The castle is small and unimportant. It lies on the river Chumbal, which has here hollowed out for itself a remarkably deep bed in the rock. Picturesque ravines and groups of rock form its shores. The garden of the castle is so thickly planted with orange, citron, and other trees, that there is not room for even the smallest flowering plant or shrub. The few flowers which the Indian gardens contain are placed at the entrances. The paths are raised two feet, as the ground is always muddy and damp in consequence of the frequent watering. Most of the Indian gardens which I afterwards saw resembled these. The king frequently amuses himself here with tiger-hunting. Somewhat higher up the river small towers are erected upon slight eminences ; the tigers are driven gradually towards the water, and always more and more hemmed in, until they are within shot of the towers ; the king and his friends sit securely upon the tops of the- towers, and fire bravely upon the wild beasts. Near the castle was a small wooden temple, which had just been built; the principal part, however, the amiable idols, was awanting. It was owing to this fortunate circumstance that we were allowed to enter the sanctuary, which consisted of a small marble kiosk standing in the centre of the hall. The temple and the columns were covered with bad paintings in the most brilliant colours. It is strange that neither the Hindoos nor the Mahometans should have applied themselves to painting, for there are neither good pictures nor drawings to be seen among any of these people, although they have displayed such proficiency in architecture, carving in relief, and in mosaic-work. We lastly visited a remarkably fine wood of tamarind and mango- trees, under the shadows of which the ashes of a number of kings are preserved in handsome monuments. These monuments consist of open temples, with broad flights of ten or twelve steps leading up to them. At the bottom of the steps, on each side, stand stone figures of elephants. Some of the temples are ornamented with beautiful sculptures. The evening was passed in all kinds of amusements. The good doctor would have made me acquainted with all the arts of the Hindoos ; however, the greater number of them were no longer new to me. A snake-charmer exhibited his little society, which per- formed very clever tricks, and also allowed the most poisonous ser- pents to twine themselves round his body, and the largest scorpiona KOTTAH ENTERTAINMENTS AND DANCES. 203 ran over his arms and legs. Afterwards four elegant female dancers appeared dressed in muslin, ornamented with gold and silver, and loaded with jewellery, ears, forehead, neck, breast, loins, hands, arms, feet, in short, every part of the body was covered with gold, silver, and precious stones ; even the toes were ornamented with them, and from the nose a large ring with three stones hung over the mouth. Two of the dancers first commenced. Their dance consisted of the same winding movements which I had already seen in Benares, only they were far more animated, and twisted their fingers, hands, and arms, about in every conceivable manner. They might well be said to dance with their arms but not with their feet. They danced for ten minutes without singing, then they began to scream, without, however, keeping time, and their motions became more violent and wild, until in about half an hour both strength and voice failed, they stopped quite exhausted, and made way for their sisters, who repeated the same spectacle. Dr. Holland told me that they represented a love story, in which every virtue and pas- sion, such as truth, self-devotion, hate, persecution, despair, &c., played a part. The musicians stood a little behind the dancers, and followed all their movements. The whole space which such a company require is at the most ten feet in length and eight broad. The good Hindoos amuse themselves for hours together with these tasteless repetitions. I remember having read in books that the Indian female dancers were far more graceful than the European, that their songs were highly melodious, and that their pantomime was tender, inspiring, and attractive. I should scarcely think the authors of such books could have been in India ! Not less exaggerated are the descriptions of others, who affirm that there are no dances more indelicate than those of the Indians. I might again ask these people if they had ever seen the Sammaquecca and Kefolosa in Valparaiso, the female dancers of Tahiti, or even our own in flesh-coloured leggings 1 The dresses of the females in Rajpootan and some parts of Bundelkund are very different from those of other parts of India. They wear long, coloured, many -folded skirts, tight bodies, which are so short that they scarcely cover the breasts ; and over this a blue mantle, in which they envelope the upper part of the body, the head, and the face, and allow a part to hang down in front like a veil. Girls who do not always have the head covered nearly resemble our own peasant girls. Like the dancers, they are overloaded with iewellery ; when they cannot afford gold and silver, they content themselves with some other metals. They wear also rings of horn, bone, or glass beads, on the fingers, arms, and feet. On the feet they carry bells, so that they are heard at a distance of sixty paces ; the toes are covered with broad heavy rings, and they have rings hanging from their noses down to the chin, which they are obliged to tie up at meal time. I pitied the poor creatures, who suffered not a little from their finery ! The eye- brows and eyelids are dyed black while the children are rery young, and they frequently paint themselves with dark blue streaks of a finger's breadth over the eyebrows, and with spots on the forehead. The adult women tattoo their breasts, foreheads, noses, or temples, 204 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. with red, white, or yellow colours, according as they are particularly attached to one or the other deity. Many wear amulets or miniatures hung round their necks, so that I at first thought they were Catholics, and felt gratified at the brilliant successes of the missionaries. But when I came nearer to one of the people, that I might see these pictures better, what did I discover there? Perhaps a beautiful Madonna ! a fair-haired angel's head ! an enthusiastic Antonio of Padua ! Ah no ! I was met by the eight-armed god Shiva grinning at me, the ox's head o'f Vishnu, the long-tongued goddess Kalli. The amulets contained, most probably, some of the ashes of one of tbeir martyrs who had been burned, or a nail, a fragment of skin, a hair of a saint, a splinter from the bone of a sacred animal, &c. 13th February. Dr. Eolland conducted me to the little town ot Kesho-Rae-Patum, one of the most sacred in Bunda and Rajpootan. It lies on the other side of the river, six miles from Kottah. A great number of pilgrims come here to bathe, as the water is "considered particularly sacred at this spot. This belief cannot be condemned, when it is remembered how many Christians there are who give the preference to the Holy Maria at Maria-Zell, Einsiedeln, or Loretto, which, nevertheless, all represent one and the same. Handsome steps lead from the heights on the banks down to the river, and Brahmins sit in pretty kiosks to take money from believers for the honour of the gods. On one of the flights of steps lay a very large tortoise. It might quietly sun itself there in safety no one thought of catching it. It came out of the sacred river ; indeed it might, perhaps, be the incarnation of the god Vishnu himself.* Along the river stood numbers of stone altars, with small bulls, and other emblematical figures, also cut in stone. The town itself is small and miserable, but the temple is large and handsome. The priests were here so tolerant as to admit us to all parts of the temple. It is open on all sides, and forms an octagon. Galleries run round the upper part, one-half of which are for women, the other for the musicians. The sanctuary stands at the back of the temple ; five bells hang before it, which are struck when women enter the temple; they rung out also at my entrance. The curtained and closed doors were then opened, and afforded us a full view of the interior. "VVe saw there a little group of idols carved in stone. The people who followed us with curiosity commenced a gentle muttering upon the opening of the doors. I turned round, somewhat startled, thinking that it was directed against us and indicated anger, but it was the prayers which they repeated in a low voice and with a feeling of devotion. One of the Brahmins brushed off the flies from the intelligent countenances of the gods. Several chapels join the large temple, and were all opened to us. They contained red-painted stones or pictures. In the front court sits a stone figure of a saint under a covering, completely clothed, and with even a cap on the head. On the opposite bank ot the river a small hill rises, upon which rests the figure of a large and rather plump ox hewn in stone. This hill is called the " holy mountain." * The god Vibhnu is represented as a tortoise. DEPASTURE FEOil KOTTAH. 205 Captain Burdon has built a very pretty house near the holy moun- tain, where he sometimes lives with his' family. I saw there a fine collection of stuffed birds, which he had brought himself from the Himalayas. I was particulary struck by the pheasants, some of which shone with quite a metallic lustre; and there were some not less beautiful specimens of heathcocks. I had now seen all, and therefore asked the doctor to order me a conveyance to Indor, 180 miles distant, for the next day. He sur- prised me with the offer, on the part of the king, to provide me with as many camels as I required, and two sepoys on horseback as atten- dants. I asked for two ; the one for myself, the other for the driver and the servants which Dr. Eolland sent with me. CHAPTEE XV. JOUR3EY FKOM DELHI TO BOMBAY CONTINUED. TRAVELLING ON INDIAN CAMBLS MY MEETING WITH THE BURDON FAMILY THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF WOMEN AMONG THE NATIVE POPULATION IN INDIA UDJEIN CAPTAIN HAMILTON INTRODUCTION AT COURT MANUFACTURE OF ICE THE ROCK TEMPLES OF ADJUNTA A TIGER HUNT THE ROCK TEMPLES OF ELORA. THE FORTRESS OF DOWLUTABAD. 14TH FEBRUARY. The camels were ordered at 5 o'clock in the morn- ing, but it was not until towards noon that they came, each with a driver. When they saw my portmanteau (twenty-five pounds in weight), they were quite puzzled to know what to do with it. It was useless my explaining to them how the luggage is carried in Egypt, and that I had been accustomed to carry very little with me on my own animal : they were used to a different plan, and would not depart from it. Travelling on camels is always unpleasant and troublesome. The jolting motion of the animal produces in many people the same ill effects as the rocking of a ship on the sea ; but in India it is almost unbearable, on account of the inconvenience of the arrangements. Here each animal has a driver, who sits in front and takes the best place : the traveller has only a little space left for him on the hinder part of the animal. Dr. Holland advised me at once to put up with the inconvenience as well as I could. He told me that 1 should fall in with Captain Burdon in the next day or two, and it would be easy to obtain a more convenient conveyance from him. I followed his advice, allowed my luggage to be carried, and patiently mounted my camel. We passed through extensive plains, which were most remarkable for some considerable flax plantations, and came to a beautiful lake, near to which lay a very pretty palace. Towards evening we reached the little village of Moasa, where we stayed for the night. In those countries which are governed by native princes there are neither roads nor arrangements for travelling; although in every village and town there are people appointed whose business it is to direct travellers on their way and carry their luggage, for which they are paid a small fee. Those travellers who have a guard from the king or aumil (governor), or a cheprasse with them, do not pay any- thing for this attendance ; others give them a trifle for their services, according as the distance is greater or less. When I reached Moasa, every one hastened to offer me their ser- vicesfor I travelled with the king's people, and in this part of the country a European woman is a rarity. They brought me wood, milk, and eggs. My table was always rather frugally furnished : at the best 1 had rice boiled in milk, or some eggs, but generally only rice, with water and salt. A leathern vessel for water, a little sauce- TEAVELLING ON INDIAN CAMELS. 207 pan for boiling in, a handful of salt, and some rice and bread, were all that I took with me. 15th February. Late in the evening I reached Nurankura, a small place surrounded by low mountains. I found here some tents belong- ing to Captain Burdon, a maid, and a servant. Terribly fatigued, I entered one of the tents directly, in order to rest myself. Scarcely had I taken possession of the divan than the maid came into the tent, and, without any observation, commenced kneading me about with her hands. I would have stopped her, but she explained to me that, when a person was fatigued, it was very refreshing. For a quarter of an hour she pressed my body from head to foot vigorously, and it certainly produced a good effect I found myself much relieved and strengthened. This custom of pressing and kneading is very common in India, as well as in all Oriental countries, especially after the bath ; and Europeans also willingly allow themselves to be operated upon. The maid informed me, partly by signs, partly by words, that I had been expected since noon, that'a palanquin stood ready for me, and that I could sleep as well in it as in the tent. I was rejoiced at this, and again started on my journey at 11 o'clock at night. The country was indeed, as I knew, infested with tigers ; but as several torch-bearers accompanied us, and the tigers are sworn enemies of light, I could composedly continue my uninterrupted sleep. About 3 o'clock in the morning I was set down again in a tent, which was prepared for my reception, and furnished with every convenience. 16th February. This morning I made the acquaintance of the amiable family of the Burdons. They have seven children, whom they educate chiefly themselves. They live very pleasantly and com- fortably, although they are wholly thrown on their own resources for amusement, as there are (with the exception of Dr. Holland) no Euro- peans in Kottah. It is only very rarely that they are visited by officers who may be passing through, and I was the 'first European female Mrs. Burdon had seen for four years. I passed the most delightful day in this family circle. I was not a little astonished to find here all the conveniences of a well-regulated house ; and I must take this opportunity of describing, in few words, the mode of travelling adopted by the English officers and officials in India. In the first place, they have tents which are so large that they contain two or three rooms : one which I saw was worth more than 800 rupees (80). They take with them corresponding furniture, from a footstool to the most elegant divan ; in fact, nearly the whole of the house and cooking utensils. They have also a multitude of servants, every one of whom has his particular occupation, which he understands exceedingly well. The travellers, after passing the night in their beds, about 3 o'clock in the morning either lie or sit in easy palanquins, or mount on horseback, and, after four or five hours' ride, dismount, and partake of a hot breakfast under tents. They have every household accommodation, carry on their ordinary occupations, take their meals at their usual hours, and are, in fact, entirely at home. The cook always proceeds on his journey at night. As soon as the tents are vacated they are taken down and quickly removed, and 208 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY HOUND THE WOKLD. as quickly re-erected : there is no scarcity of hands, or of beasts of burden. In the most cultivated countries of Europe, people do not travel with so much luxury and ease as in India. In the evening I was obliged to take my departure again. Mr. Burdon very kindly offered me the use of his palanquin and the neces- sary bearers as far as Indor ; but I pitied the people too much, and declared that I did not find travelling on camels unpleasant that, in fact, on account of the open view, that mode was to be preferred to palanquins. However, on account of my little portmanteau, I took a third camel. I left the sepoys behind here. This evening- we went eight miles towards the little town Patan. 17th February. It was not till this morning that I saw Patan was situated on a romantic chain of hills, and possesses several re- markably handsome temples, in the open halls belonging to which are placed sculptured stone figures the size of life. The arabesques and figures on the pillars were sharply executed in relief. In the valleys which we passed through there was a large quantity of basal- tic rock and most beautifully-crystallized quartz. Towards evening we reached Batschbachar, a miserable little town. 18th February. Rumtscha is somewhat larger and better. ,1 was obliged to put up my bed in the middle of the bazaar, under an open verandah. Upon this road there were no caravansaries. Half of the inhabitants of the town gathered round me, and watched all my motions and doings with the greatest attention. I afforded them an opportunity of studying the appearance of an angry European female, as I was very much displeased with my people, and, in spite of my slight knowledge of the language, scolded them heartily. They allowed the camels to go so lazily that, although we had travelled since early in the morning until late in the evening, we had not gone more than twenty or twenty-two miles, not faster than an ox-waggon would have gone. I made them understand that this negligence must not happen again. I must now take occasion to contradict those persons who affirm that the camel can travel on the average eighty miles daily, and that, even when they go slowly, their steps are very long. I examine every circumstance very accurately, and then form an opinion from my own experience, without allowing myself to be misled by what has been written about it. Before com- mencing a journey, 1 observe not only the principal distances, but also those between the individual places, arrange a plan of my jour- ney with the help of friends who are acquainted with the subject, and by this means have the advantage over my driver, who cannot persuade me that we have gone forty or sixty miles, when we have not gone more than half this distance. Moreover, I was able, while travelling from Delhi to Kottah by the ox-waggon, to observe seve- ral camel equipages, which I fell in with every evening at the same night station. It is true that I had most excellent oxen, and that the camels were ordinary; but in this journey, with good camels, I did not go more than thirty or, at the utmost, thirty-two miles in the day, and travelled from 4 o'clock in the morning until 6 in the evening, without any other stoppage than two hours at noon. A camel which is able to travel eighty miles in a day is an exception to EANERA UDJEIX. 209 the general rule, and would scarcely perform such a feat the second or third time. 19th February. Ranera is an unimportant place. I was here offered a cow-stall to sleep in. It was indeed kept very clean ; but I preferred sleeping in the open air. Till a late hour of the night this town was very lively ; proces- sions of men and a number of women and children followed the noise of the tam-tam, which they accompanied with a wild, howling song, and proceeded to some tree, under which an image of an idol was set up. We had on this day to cross several ranges of low hills. The uncultivated ground was everywhere scorched up by the sun ;* never- theless, the plantations of poppies, flax, corn, and cotton, &e., grew very luxuriantly. Water-dykes were let into the fields on every side, and peasants, with their yokes of oxen, were engaged in bringing water from the wells and streams. I did not see any women at work. In my numerous journeys I had an opportunity of observing that the lot of the poorer classes of women in India, in the East, and among coloured people generally, was not so hard as it is believed to be. In. the towns where Europeans reside, for example, their linen is washed and prepared by men ; it is very seldom that it is necessary for women to take part in outdoor labour ; they carry wood, water, or any other heavy burdens only in their own houses. At harvest time, indeed, the women are seen in the fields, but there also they only do the lighter kind of work. If carriages with horses or oxen are seen, the women and children are always seated upon them, and the men walk by the side, often laden with bundles. When there are no beasts of burden with the party, the men carry the children and baggage. I also never saw a man ill-use his wife or child. I heartily wish that the women of the poorer classes in my own country were treated with only half the consideration which I saw in all other parts of the world. 20th February. Udjein, on the Seepa, one of the oldest and best- built towns of India, is the capital of the kingdom of Sindhia, with a population of more than 100,000 souls. The . architecture of this town is quite peculiar : the front walls of the houses, only one story high, are constructed of wood, and fur- nished with large regular window openings in the upper part, which are securely closed by beams, instead of glass. In the interior the apartments are built very lofty and airy : they have the full height from the level of the ground to the roof, without the interruption of an intermediate arch. The outer walls and beams of the houses are painted with a dark brown oil colour, which gave to the town an indescribably dusky appearance. Two houses were remarkable for their size and the uncommonly fine execution of the wood carvings. They contained two stories, and were very tastefully ornamented with galleries, pillars, friezes, niches, &c. As far as I could learn from the answers I received to my questions, and the numerous servants and soldiers walking about * Although only the beginning of spring, the temperature rose during the day as high as 95* 99 Fah. 210 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. before them, they were the palaces of the aumil and the Queen Widow of Madhadji-Sindhia. We passed through the entire town ; the streets were broad, the bazaars very extensive, and so overcrowded with men that we were frequently compelled to stop; it happened to be a large market. Upon such occasions in India, as well as at great festivals and meetings of people, I never once saw any one intoxicated, although, there was no lack of intoxicating- drinks. The men here are temperate, and restrain themselves, yet without forming into societies. Outside the town I found an open verandah, in which I took up my quarters for the night. I was here a witness of a deplorable scene, a consequence of an erroneous religious belief of the otherwise amiable Hindoos. Not far from the verandah lay a fakir, outstretched upon the earth, without any signs of life ; many of the passers-by stopped, looked at him, and then went on their way. No one spoke to or helped him. The poor man had sunk exhausted on this spot, and was no longer capable of saying to what caste he belonged. I took heart, approached him, and raised the head-cloth, which had fallen over a part of his face ; two glassy eyes stared at me. I felt the body ; it was stiff and cold. My help came too late. The next morning the corpse still lay in the same place. I was informed that they waited to see if any relations would come to carry it away, if not it would be removed by the pariahs. 21stFebruary. In the afternoon I reached Indor, the capital of the kingdom of Holkar. As I approached the dwellings of the Europeans I found them just about to ride out. The equipage of the resident, Mr. Hamilton, to whom I had letters, was distinguishable from the others by its greater splendour. Four beautiful horses were harnessed to an open landau, and four servants, in Oriental liveries, ran by the side of the carriage. The gentlemen had scarcely perceived my approach, when they stopped, and sent a servant towards me ; they, perhaps, wished to know what chance had thrown a solitary European female into this remote country. My servant, who already had the letter to Mr. Hamilton in his hand, hastened to him directly, and gave it to him. Mr. Hamilton read it hastily through, alighted from his carriage im- mediately, came and received me very cordially. My shabby clothes, faded by the sun, were of no account to him, and he did not treat me with less respect because I came without much baggage, and without a train of attendants. He conducted me himself to the bungalow set apart for strangers, offered me several rooms, and remained until he saw that the servants had properly provided all conveniences. After he had given me a servant for my own exclusive use, and had ordered a guard before the bungalow, in which I was about to live alone, he took his departure, and promised to send for me to dinner in an hour. A few hundred paces distant from the bungalow is the palace of the resident ; it is a building of very great beauty, constructed of large square stones, in a pure Italian style of architecture. Broad flights of steps led up into halls which are peculiarly remarkable for INDOR INTRODUCTION AT COURT. 211 tlieir magnitude and beautifully-arched roofs ; the latter being finer than any that I had yet seen. The saloons, rooms, and internal arrangements corresponded to the high expectations which the sight of the outside raised. It was a Sunday, and I had the pleasure of finding the whole European society of Indor assembled at the house of the resident. It consisted of three families. My astonishment at the magnificence surrounding me at the luxuries at table was yet more increased when a complete, well-trained band of musicians commenced playing fine overtures, and some familiar German melodies. After dinner Mr. Hamilton introduced the chaplain to me, a Tyrolese, named Naher. This active man had established his chapel in the space of three years, the congregation consisting chiefly of young natives. I was invited to be present on the following morning, at the first operation performed here by a European surgeon on a patient under the influence of ether. A large tumour was to be extracted from the neck of a native. Unfortunately, the inhalation did not turn out as was expected ; the patient came to again after the first incision, and began shrieking fearfully. I hastily left the room, for I pitied the poor creature too much to bear his cries. The operation, indeed, was successful, but the man suffered considerable pain. During breakfast Mr. Hamilton proposed that I should exchange my apartment in the bungalow for a similar one in his palace, because the going backwards and forwards at each meal-time was very fatiguing. He placed at my disposal the rooms of his wife, who was deceased, and appointed me a female servant. After tiffen (lunch) I was to see the town, and be presented at court. I employed the intermediate time in visiting Mr. and Mrs. Naher. The latter, who was also a German, was moved even to tears when she saw me : for fifteen years she had not spoken with a fellow-countrywoman. The town of Indor contains nearly 25,000 inhabitants. It is not fortified. The houses are built in the same manner as those in Udjein. The royal palace stands in the centre of the town, and forms a quadrangle. The middle of the front rises in the form of a pyramid, to the height of six stories. A remarkably lofty and very handsome gateway, flanked on both sides by round and "somewhat projecting towers, leads into the courtyard. The exterior of the palace is com- pletely covered with frescoes, for the most part representing elephants and horses, and from a distance they present a good appearance. The interior is separated into several courts. In the first court, on the ground floor, is situated a saloon, surrounded by two rows of wooden pillars. The Durwar (ministerial council) is held here. In the first story of the same building a fine open saloon is appropriated to the use of some sacred oxen. Opposite this cattle-stall is the reception-room. Dark stairs, which require to be lighted in broad daylight, lead to the royal apartments. The stairs are said to be equally dark in almost all the Indian palaces ; they believe it is a security against enemies, or, at least, that it makes their entrance more difficult. In the reception- saloon sat the queen, Jeswont-Rao-Holcar, an aged, childless widow j o 212 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOULD. at lier side her adopted son, Prince Hury-Rao-Holcar, a youth of fourteen years, with very good-natured features and expressive eyes. Seats, consisting of cushions, were placed for us by their side. The young prince spoke broken English, and the questions which he put to me proved him to be well acquainted with geography. His mundsch,* a native, was represented as a man of intelligence and learning. I could not find an opportunity, after the audience, of complimenting him upon the progress which the prince had made. The dress of the queen and of the prince consisted of white Decca muslin ; the prince had several precious stones and pearls upon his turban, breast, and arms. The queen was not veiled, although Mr. Hamilton was present. All the apartments and passages were crowded with servants, who, without the slightest ceremony, came into the audience-hall, that they might observe us more closely ; we sat in a complete crowd. We were offered sweetmeats and fruits sprinkled with rose-water, and some attar of roses was put upon our handkerchiefs. After some time, areca-nuts and betel-leaves were brought on silver plates, which the queen herself handed to us. This is a sign that the audience is at an end, and visitors cannot leave until it is made. Before we got up to go, large wreaths of jasmine were hung round our necks, and small ones round our wrists. Fruits and sweetmeats were also sent home to us. The queen had given the niundsch directions to conduct us round the whole of the palace. It is not very large, and the rooms, with the exception of the reception-saloon, are very simple, and almost without furniture ; in each, cushions, covered with white muslin, lie upon the floor. As we stood upon the terrace of the house, we saw the prince ride out. Two servants led his horse, and a number of attendants sur- rounded him. Several officers accompanied him upon elephants, and mounted soldiers closed the procession. The latter wore wide white trousers, short blue jackets, and handsome round caps ; they looked very well. The people raised a low murmur when they saw the prince, as an indication of their pleasure. The mundsch was good enough to show me the mode adopted for making ice. The proper time for this is during the months of December and January ; although, even in the month of February, the nights, and especially the early hours of the morning before sun- rise, are so cold that small quantities of water are covered with a thin sheet of ice. For this purpose, either shallow pits are dug in earth rich in saltpetre,t and small shallow dishes of burnt porous clay are filled with water and placed in these pits ; or, when the soil does not contain any saltpetre, the highest terraces on the houses arc covered with straw, and the little dishes of water are placed up there. The thin crusts of ice thus obtained are broken into small pieces, a little water is poured over them, and the whole is put into the ice- houses, which are also lined with straw. This mode of obtaining ice is already practised in Benares. * Mumlsch is the royal tutor, writer, or interpreter. t It is \vell known that saltpetre produces a considerable reduction of temperature 1 . SI .MAROLA BUEWAI ROSTAMPOOE. 213 Mr. Hamilton was so obliging" as to make the arrangements for the continuance of my journey. I could have had the royal camels again, but preferred a car with oxen, as the loss of time was incon- siderable, and the trouble far less. Mr. Hamilton himself made the contract with the driver, pointed out the stations at which we should stop between this and Auranjabad (230 miles), gave me an excellent servant and sepoy, furnished me with letters, and even asked me if I had sufficient money. This excellent man did all this with so much amiability, that, in fact, I scarcely knew whether the kindnesses, or the way in which they were offered, were most to be admired. And not only in Indor, but everywhere else that he was known, I heard his name always mentioned with the most profound respect. On the" 23rd of February I left Indor on my way to the little village of Simarola. The road led through delightful groves of palm- trees and richly cultivated land. In Simarola I found a pretty and comfortably furnished tent, which Mr. Hamilton had sent on, in order to surprise me with a good night station. I silently thanked him most heartily for his care. 21th February. From Simarola the country was truly pic- turesque. A narrow ledge of rock, in some places scarcely broad enough for the road, led down a considerable declivity* into small valleys, on the sides of which beautiful mountains towered up. The latter were thinly wooded ; among 1 the trees I w r as particularly struck by two species, the one with yellow, the other with red flowers; both oi' them, very singularly, were quite destitute of leaves. On this side of Kottah the camel trains were less frequent, in consequence of the very stony state of the road ; instead of these, we met trains of oxen. We passed some to-day of incredible extent. I do not exaggerate when I affirm that I have seen trains of several thousand head of cattle, on whose backs corn, wool, salt, &c., were conveyed. I cannot imagine where the food for so many animals is obtained ; there are nowhere any meadows, for, with the exception of the plantations, the ground is scorched up, or at most covered with thin parched jungle grass, which I never saw any animal eat. The industry of the women and children in the villages through which the trains pass is great beyond measure ; they provide them- selves with baskets, and follow the train for a considerable distance, collecting the excrement of the oxen, which they work up into flat bricks, and dry them in the sun to use as fuel. Late in the evening we entered the village of Burwni, which lies on the river Nurbuda, in the midst of a storm of thunder and lightning-. I was told that there was a public bungalow here, but, as the darkness ot the nitrht prevented our finding- it, I contented myself with the balcony of a house. 25th February. AVe had this morning to cross the river Nurbuda, which, with the preparations for doing so, occupied two hours. 20th February, licstampoor. Between this place and Simarola * Iirlor lie; 2,(00 feet above the levul of the sea. 02 214 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. the land is rather barren, and also very thinly inhabited ; we often travelled several miles without seeing a village. 27th February. To-day we were gratified with the prospect of a fertile country and beautiful mountains. On an isolated mountain, was situated the famous old fortress of Assergur, from which arose- two half-decayed minarets. Towards evening we passed between. many ruins ; amongst which I observed another handsome mosque, the fore-courts, the minarets, and side walls of which were standing. Adjoining this district of ruins lay the very flourishing town of Ber- hampoor, which still numbers 60,000 inhabitants, but I was told that it was formerly much larger. An aumil resides in the town, and also an English officer, who keeps an eye on his proceedings. We were obliged to pass through the whole town, through the deep river Taptai, up and down hill, and over shocking roads, to reach the bungalow of the latter, so that we did not arrive there till late at night. Captain Henessey and his family were already supping ; they received me with true cordiality, and, although worn out with fatigue, and much travel-stained, I took my place at their hospitable table, and continued a conversation with this amiable family until a late hour of the night. 28th February. Unfortunately I was obliged to proceed on my journey again this morning. Between Berhampoor and Ichapooir there were the most beautiful and varied plantations corn, flax, cotton, sugar-cane, poppies, dahl, &c. The heat had already begun to be oppressive (towards 108 Fah.). I was, at the same time, continually on the road from 4 o'clock in the morning till 5 or 6 in the evening, and only seldom made a short halt on the banks of some river, or under a tree. It was altogether impossible to travel at night, as the heaths and jungles were frequently of great extent, and, moreover, somewhat infested with tigers, the presence of which we experienced on the following day ; besides all this, my people were unacquainted with the road. 29th February. To- day's stage was one of the most considerable ; we therefore started as early as 3 o'clock in the morning ; the road passed through terrible wastes and wild jungles. After we had pro- ceeded for some time quietly, the animals stopped short and remained as if fixed to the ground, and began to tremble ; their fear soon communicated itself to my people, who shouted, without intermission, the words, " Sack ! bach /'' which means, " Tiger ! tiger !" I ordered them to continue making as much noise as possible, in order to scare away the animals, if they really were near. I had some jungle grass gathered, and made a fire, which I kept constantly blazing. However, I heard no howling, and observed no other indication of our dreaded neighbour than the terror of my people and cattle. Nevertheless, I awaited the sunrise this time with great anxiety, when we con- tinued our journey. AVe afterwords learnt that scarcely a night passes in this neighbourhood without an ox, horse, or goat being carried off" by tigers. Only a few days previously a poor woman, who was late in returning from gathering jungle grass, had been torn to pieces. All the villages were surrounded with high stone and mud walls, whether fronTfear of the wild beasts, or from any other THE BOCK TEMPLES OF ADJUNTA. 215 cause, I could not learn with certainty. These fortified villages extend as far as Auranjabad, over a distance of 150 miles. March 1st. Bodur is an unimportant village. Upon the road from Indor to Auranjabad there are no bungalows with rooms, and it is very seldom that even an open one is to be found that is, a building with three wooden walls, over which a roof is thrown. We found one of these bungalows in Bodur. It was indeed already taken possession of by about a dozen Indian soldiers, but they withdrew unasked, and gave up to me half of the airy chamber. During- the whole night they remained still and quiet, and were not the slightest annoyance. 2nd March. Furdapoor, a small village at the foot of beautiful mountains. As the poor oxen began to be wearied with travelling-, the driver rubbed them down every evening from head to foot. 3rd March. Adjunta. Before coming to this place we passed a terrible rocky pass which might be easily defended. The road was very narrow, and so bad that the poor animals could scarcely make any way with the empty cars. On the heights of the pass a strongly fortified gate was placed, which closed the narrow road ; it was, however, left open in time of peace. The low ground and the heights on the sides were rendered inaccessible by strong- and lofty walls. The view became more delightful at every step : romantic valleys and ravines, picturesque masses and walls of rock lay on both sides, immeasurable valleys spread themselves out behind the mountains, while in front the view swept over an extensive open plain, at the commencement of which lay the fortress of Adjunta. We had already reached it at about 8 o'clock in the morning. Captain Gill resides in Adjunta, and I had letters of introduction to him from Mr. Hamilton. When I expressed a wish, after the first greeting was over, to visit the famous rock temples of Adjunta, he deeply regretted that ho had not received a letter from me four-and-twenty hours sooner, as the temples were nearer to Furdapoor than to Adjunta. What was to be done ? I was resolved upon seeing them, and had but little time to lose, so I decided upon retracing my way. I only provided myself with a small stock of provisions, and im- mediately mounted one of the horses from the captain's stable, which brought me past the rocky pass in a good hour. The road towards the temples here turns off to the right into desolate, barren, mountain valleys, whose death-like stillness was unbroken by the breathing of an animal, or the song of a bird. This place was well calculated to raise and excite expectations. The temples, twenty-seven in number, are excavated in tall per- pendicular cliffs, which form a semicircle. In some of the cliffs there are two stories of temples, one over the other ; paths lead to the top, but these are so narrow and broken that one is frequently at a loss where to set the foot. Beneath are terrible chasms, in, which a mountain stream loses itself; overhead, the smooth rocky surface extends several hundred feet in height. The majority of the temples are quadrangular in form, and the approach to the interior is through verandahs and handsome gateways, which, from 216 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOHLD. being 1 supported on columns, appear to bear the weight of the whole mass of rock. These temples are called " Vihara." In the larger one I counted twenty-eight, in the smallest eight pillars. On one and sometimes on both side walls there is a very small dark cell, in which most probably the priest lived. In the back- ground, in a large and lofty cell, is the sanctuary. Here are gigantic figures in every position ; some measure more than eighteen feet, and nearly reach to the roof of the temple, which is about twenty-four feet high. The walls of the temples and verandahs are full of idols and statues of good and evil spirits. In one of the temples a battle of giants is represented. The figures are above life-size, and the whole of the figures, columns, verandahs, and gateways, are cut out of the solid rock. The enormous number and remarkable beauty of the sculptures and reliefs on the columns, capitals, friezes, gateways, and even on the roof of the temples, are indeed most astonishing ; the variety in the designs and devices is inexhaustible. It appears incredible that human hands should have been able to execute such masterly and gigantic works. The Brahmins do, indeed, ascribe their origin to supernatural agencies, and affirm that the era of their creation cannot be ascertained. Kemains of paintings are found on the walls, ceiling, and pillars, the colours of which are brighter and fresher than those of many modern works of art. The second class of temples have an oval form, and have majestic lofty portals leading immediately into the interior ; they are called chaitya. The largest of these temples has on each side a colonnade of nineteen pillars the smallest, one of eight ; in these there are no verandahs, no priests' cells, and no sanctuaries. Instead of the latter, a high monument stands at the extremity of the temple. Upon one of these monuments an upright figure of the deity Buddha is sculptured in a standing position. On the walls of the larger temple gigantic figures are hewn out of the solid rock, and under these a sleeping Buddha, twenty-one feet in length. After I had wandered about here for some hours, and had seen enough of each of the temples, I was led back to one of them, and saw there a small table well covered with eatables and drinkables, inviting me to a welcome meal. Captain Gill had been so kind as to send after me a choice tiffen, together with table and chairs, into this wilderness. Thus refreshed and invigorated, I did not find the return fatiguing. The house in which Captain Gill lives at Adjunta is very remarkably situated: a pleasant little garden, with flowers and shrubs,' [surrounds the front, which commands a view of a fine plain, while the back stands upon the edge of a most fearful precipice, over which the dizzy glance loses itself among steep crags and terrible gorges and chasms. As Captain Gill had learnt that I wished to visit the famous fortress of Dowlutabad, he told me that no one was admitted without the permission of the commander of Auranjabad ; but, to spare my going out of my way (as the fortress lies on this side of Auranjabad), he offered to send a courier there immediately, and order him to bring" the card of admission to me at Elora. The courier had to travel alto- EOJA A TIGEB-HUXT. 217 gether a distance of 140 miles 70 there and as many back. I looked upon all these attentions as the more obliging, as they were shown to me a German woman, without distinction or attractions by English people. 4th March. At 4 o'clock in the morning 1 the good captain joined me at the breakfast-table ; half an hour later I was seated in my waggon and travelling towards the village of Bongeloda, which I reached the same day. 5th March. Hoja is one of the most ancient towns of India. It has a gloomy aspect ; the houses are one story high, nncl built of large square stones blackened by age ; the doors and windows are few in number and irregularly situated. Outside the town lay a handsome bungalow with two rooms ; but, as I was informed that it was occupied by Europeans, I decided upon not going there, and took up my quarters for the night under the eaves of a house. The country between this and Adjunta is a flat plain ; the parched heaths and poor jungles are interspersed with beautiful plantations. The land near Pulmary was especially well cultivated. 6th March. Early in the morning I mounted a horse for the purpose of visiting the equally-renowned rock temples of Elora (ten miles from Eoja.) But, as it frequently happens in life that the proverb, " Man proposes and God disposes, 1 ' proves true, such was the case in the present instance instead of the temples, I saw a tiger-hunt. I had scarcely left the gates of the town behind, when I perceived a number of Europeans seated upon elephants, coming from the bungalow. On meeting each other we pulled up and commenced a conversation. The gentlemen were on the road to search for a tiger- lair, of which they had received intimation, and invited me, if such a sport would not frighten me too much, to take part in it. I was greatly delighted to receive the invitation, and was soon seated on one of the elephants, in a howdah about two feet high, in which there were already two gentlemen and a native the latter had been brought to load the guns. They gave me a large knife to defend myself with, in case the animal should spring too high and reach the side of the howdah. Thus prepared, we approached the chain of hills, and, after a few hours, were already pretty near the lair of the tigers, when our servants cried out softly, " Back, bach ! '' and pointed with their fingers to some brushwood. I had scarcely perceived the flaming eyes which glared out of one of the bushes before shots were fired. Several balls took effect on the animal, who rushed, maddened, upon us. He made such tremendous springs, that I thought every moment he must reach the howdah and select a victim from among us. The sight was terrible to see, and my apprehensions were increased by the appearance of another tiger; however, I kept myself so calm, that none of the gentlemen had any suspicion of what was going on in my mind. Shot followed shot; the elephants defended their trunks with :. r n':it dexterity by throwing' them up or drawing them in. 218 A WOMAN'S JOUENEY ROUND THE WORLD. After a sharp contest of half an hour, we were the victors, and the dead animals were triumphantly stripped of their beautiful skins. The gentlemen politely offered me one of them as a present ; but I declined accepting it, as I could not postpone my journey sufficiently long for it to be dried. They complimented me on my courage, and added, that such sport would be extremely dangerous if the elephants were not particularly well trained ; above all, they must not be afraid of the tigers, nor even stir from the spot ; for, if they ran away, the hunters would be upset by the branches of the trees, or be left hanging upon them, when they would certainly become the victims of the bloodthirsty animals. It was too late to visit the temples to-day, and I therefore waited till the next morning. The temples of Elora lie on that kind of table-land which is peculiar to India. The principal temple, Kylas, is the most wonderful of all those which are hewn out of the rock. It surpasses, in magni- tude and finish, the best specimens of Indian architecture ; it is, indeed, affirmed to have claims to precedence over the marvellous buildings of the ancient Egyptians. The Kylas is of conical form, 120 feet in height and 000 in circumference. For the construction of this mastervrork a colossal block was separated from the solid rock by a passage 240 feet long and 100 broad. The interior of the temple consists of a principal hall (66 feet long by 100 broad), and several adjoining halls, which are all furnished with sculptures and gigantic idols ; but the real magnificence consists in the rich and beautiful sculptures on the exterior, in the tastefully-executed arabesques, and in the fine pinnacles and niches, which are cut out on the tower. The temple rests on the backs of numerous elephants and tigers, which lie next to each other in peaceful attitudes. Before the principal entrance, to which several flights of steps lead, stand two figures of elephants above life-size. The whole is, as has been said before, hewn from a single mass of rock. The cliff from which this immense block was separated surrounds the temple on three sides, at a distance of 100 feet, forming colossal perpendicular walls, in which, as at Adjunta, enormous colonnades, larger and smaller temples, from two to three stories high, are excavated. The principal temple is called Rameswur, and somewhat exceeds in size the largest vichara at Adjunta ; its breadth is 98 feet, it extends into the rock 102 feet, and the height of the ceiling is 24 feet ; it is supported by twenty- two pilasters, and covered with the most beautiful sculptures, reliefs, and colossal gods, among which the principal group repre- sents the marriage of the god Earn and the goddess Seeta. A second vichara, nearly as handsome as this last, is called Laoka ; the principal figure in this is Shiva. Not far distant, a number of similar temples are excavated in another rock. They are much more simple, with unattractive portals and plain columns ; therefore, not to be compared with those at Adjunta. This task would have been impossible if the rock had been granite or a similar primitive foundation ; unfortunately, I could not ascertain what the rock was ; I only examined the pieces which were here and there chipped off, and which were very easily broken. THE PORTRESS OF DOWLUTABAD. 219 It is not with tlie less astonishment that one contemplates these surprising- works, which will always be considered as inimitable monuments of human ingenuity. The temple of Kylas is, unfortunately, somewhat decayed from age and the destructive action of the weather. It is a sad pity that the only monument of this kind in the world will, by-and-bye, fall into ruins. Towards 11 o'clock in the morning I returned to Roja, and immediately continued my journey to the famous fortress Dow- lutabad, having safely received the admission in Roja. The distance was only eight miles ; but the roads were execrably bad, and there was a mountain-pass to cross similar to that near Adjunta. The fortress, one of the oldest and strongest in India, is considered as the most remarkable of its kind, not only in the Deccan but in all India. It presents a most imposing aspect, and is situated upon a peak of rock 600 feet high, which stands isolated in a beautiful plain, and appears to have been separated from the adjoining mountains by some violent natural convulsion. The circum- ference of this rock amounts to about a mile. It is cut round perpen- dicularly to a height of 130 feet, and thirty feet below the top of the moat by which it is surrounded, which cutting is equally perpen- dicular, so that the whole height of the escarpment is 160 feet, and the rock, consequently, inaccessible. There is no pathway leading to the fortress, and I was, therefore, extremely curious to know by what means the summit was reached. In the side of the rock itself was a very low iron door, which is only visible in time of peace, as the ditch can be filled a foot above its level when required. Torches were lighted, and I was carefully conducted through narrow low passages, which led with numerous windings upwards through the body of the rock. These passages were closed in many places by massive iron gates. Some considerable distance above the precipitous part of the rock we again emerged into the open air ; narrow paths and steps, Protected by strongly-fortified works, led from this place to the ighest point. The latter was somewhat flattened (140 feet in diameter), completely undermined, and so contrived that it could be heated red hot. A cannon, twenty -three feet long, was planted here. At the foot of this fortress are scattered numerous ruins, which, I was told, were the remains of a very important town ; nothing is left of it now except the fortified walls, three or four feet deep, which must be passed to reach the rock itself. In the same plain, but near to the range of mountains, standing on a separate elevation, is a considerably larger fortress than Dowlu- tabad, but of far inferior strength. The numerous fortresses, as well as the fortified towns, were, as I here learned, the remnants of past times, when Hindostan was divided into a great number of states, continually at war with each other. The inhabitants of the towns and villages never went out unarmed ; they had spies continually on the watch ; and, to secure themselves from sudden attacks, drove their herds inside the walls every night, and lived in a continual state of siege. In consequence of the un- ceasing warfare which prevailed, bands of mounted robbers were 220 A WOMAN'S JOURXEY HOUND THE WOULD. formed, frequently consisting of as many as ten or twelve thousand men, who too often starved out and overcame the inhabitants of the smaller towns, and completely destroyed their young crops. These people were then compelled to enter into a contract with these wild hordes, and to buy themselves off by a yearly tribute. Since the English have conquered India, peace and order have been everywhere established ; the walls decay and are not repaired ; the people indeed frequently wear arms, but more from habit than necessity. The distance from Dowlutabad to Auranjabad was eight miles. I was already much fatigued, for I had visited the temples, ridden eight miles over the mountain-pass, and mounted to the top of the fortress during the greatest heat ; but I looked forward to the night, which I preferred passing in a house and a comfortable bed, rather than under an open verandah ; and, seating myself in my waggon, desired the driver to quicken the pace of his weary oxen as much as possible. CHAPTEE XVI. CONTINUATION OF JOURNEY AND SOJOURN. AURANJABAD PUNA EAST INDIAN MARRIAGES THE FOOLISH WAGGONER BOM- BAY THE PARSEES, OR FIRE-WOUSHIPPEKS INDIAN BURIAL CEREMONIES THE ISLAND OF ELEPHANTA THE ISLAND OF SALSETTE. Ox the 7tK of March, late in the evening-, I reached Auranjabad. Captain Stewart, who lived outside the town, received me with the same cordiality as the other residents had done. 8th March. Captain Stewart and his wife accompanied me this morning- to the town to show me its objects of interest, which con- sisted of a monument and a sacred pool. Auranjabad is the capital of the Deccan, has 60,000 inhabitants, and is partly in ruins. The monument, which is immediately outside the town, was built more than two hundred years since by the Sultan Aurung-zeb-Alem- gir, in memory of his daughter. It by no means deserves to be com- pared to the great Tadsch at Agra. It is a mosque, with a lofty arched dome and four minarets. The building is covered all round the lower part of the outside with a coating of white marble five feet high ; the upper portion is cased with fine white cement, which is worked over with ornamental flowers and arabesques. The entrance doors are beautifully inlaid with metal, on which flowers and orna- mental designs are engraved in a highly artistic manner. Unfortu- nately, the monument is already much decayed ; one of the minarets is half fallen in ruins. In the mosque stands a plain sarcophagus, surrounded by a marble trellis-work. Both have nothing 1 in common with the gmat Tadsch beyond the white marble of which they are constructed ; in richness and artistic execution they are so much inferior, that I could not understand how any one could be led to make so incredible a comparison. Near the mosque lies a pretty marble hall, surrounded by a neglected garden. The reigning king- would have removed the marble from this monument for use in some building in which he was to be interred ! He requested permission to do so from the English Government. The answer was to the effect, that he could do so if he wished, but he should remember that, if he had so little respect for the monuments of his predecessors, his own might experience a similar fate. This answer induced him to relinquish his intentions. The pool considered sacred by the Mahomedans is a large basin, constructed of square stones. It is full of large pikes, none of which, however, are allowed to be taken ; in fact, there is an attendant appointed to supply them with food. The fish are consequently so tame and familiar, that they will eat turnips, bread, &c., out of the 222 hand. The rainy season causes the death of many of them : were it not for this fortunate circumstance, the pool would before long contain more fish than water. Since the English have come here, the attendants are said not to be so conscientious, and very often smuggle fish out of the pool into the English kitchens, for the sake of a little ready money. After spending a very agreeable day, I took a hearty farewell of my friendly hostess, and continued my journey in a fresh waggon towards Puna, 136 miles distant. 9th March. Toka. The roads here began to be better, and there were bungalows to be had on payment of the ordinary fees. 10th March. Emanpoor, a small village situated on the summit of a chain of hills. I found here the handsomest bungalow I had seen during the whole journey from Benares to Bombay. llth March. We passed the whole day in travelling through a barren country, over naked hills and mountains : the majestic solitary trees with the wells had already ceased at Auranjabad. Towards noon we passed the very flourishing town of Ahmed- nugger, in the neighbourhood of which a large English military station is established. 12th March. The bungalow at Serur was too near, that at Candapoor too distant. I therefore decided upon taking up my quarters for the night tinder the eaves of a house. 13th March. In Candapoor there are some handsome Hindoo temples and several small Mahomedan monuments. Near Lony is a large English military station. I also found an obelisk erected there in memory of a battle won by 1,200 English against 20,000 natives. 14th March. Puna. I had endless trouble here to find Mr. Brown, to whom I had an introduction from Mr. Hamilton. The Europeans reside in all parts of the town, for the most part miles apart, and I had the misfortune to meet with some who were not the most polite, and did not consider it worth taking the trouble to give me information. Mr. Brown, oji the contrary, received me as kindly as I could desire. His first inquiry was whether any accident had happened to me on the road. He told me that, only a short time since, an officer was robbed between Suppa and Puna, and, as he attempted to defend himself, was murdered ; but he added that such instances were extra- ordinarily rare. I had arrived about noon. After dinner Mr. Brown conducted me to the town, which belongs to the East India Company. It con- tains 15,000 inhabitants, and is situated at the junction of the rivers Mulla and Mutta, over both of which handsome bridges are thrown. The streets are broad and clean ; the houses, like those in Udjein, are furnished with false wooden walls. Some were painted all over, and belonged mostly, as I was informed, to fakirs, with whom the town swarmed. It was the month in which the Hindoos prefer to celebrate their marriages, and we met in several streets merry processions of that kind. The bridegroom is enveloped in a purple mantle, his turban PUNA CUMPUILY KUXDALLA, 223 dressed out with gold tinsel, tresses, ribbons, and tassels, so that from a distance it appears like a rich crown. The depending: ribbons and tassels nearly cover the whole face. He is seated upon a horse; relatives, friends, and guests surround him on foot. When he reaches the house of the bride, the doors and windows of which are securely closed, he seats himself quietly and patiently on the threshold. The female relations and friends also gather together here without con- versing much with the bridegroom and the other men. This scene continues unchanged until nightfall. The bridegroom then departs with his friends ; a closely-covered waggon, which has been held in readiness, is drawn up to the door ; the females slip into the house, bring- out the thickly-veiled bride, push her into the waggon, and follow her with the melodious music of the tam-tam. The bride does not start until the bridegroom has been gone a quarter of an hour. The women then accompany her into the bridegroom's house, which, however, they leave soon afterwards. The music is kept up in front of the house until late in the night. It is only the marriages of the lower classes that are celebrated in this manner. There is a road leading from Puna to Pannwell, a distance of seventy miles, and travellers can post all the way. From Pannwell to Bombay the journey is made by water. I adhered to the cheaper baili, and Mr. Brown was so obliging 1 as to procure one for me, and to lend me a servant. On the loth of March I again set out, and on the same day arrived at Woodgown, a village with one of the dirtiest bungalows in which I ever made up my bed. 16th March. Cumpuily. The country between this place and Woodgown is the most beautiful that I saw in India ; the view from a mountain some miles on this side of Kundalla was particularly striking. The spectator stands here in the midst of an extensive mountainous district : peaks of the most diversified forms are piled in numerous rows above and alongside of each other, presenting the most beautiful and variegated outlines. There are, also, enormous terraces of rock, flattened cones of peaks, with battlements and pinnacles, which at first sig-ht might be taken for ruins and fortresses. In one place the lofty roof of a majestic building- presents itself in another, a gigantic Gothic tower rises aloft. The volcanic form of the Tumel mountain is the most uncommon object which meets the eye. Beyond ,the mountains extends a wide plain, at the extremity of which lies the polished surface of the long-wished- for ocean. The greater part of the mountains is covered with beautiful green woods. 1 was so much delighted with the extreme beauty of the prospect, that I congratulated myself for the first time on the slow pace of my sleepy oxen. The village of Karly lies between Woodgown and Kundalla ; it is famous on account of its temples, which are about two miles distant. I did not visit them, because I was assured that they were not half so interesting as those at Adjunta and Elora. Kundalla lies upon a mountain plateau. There are several pretty country-houses here, to which many European families, from the neighbourhood of Bombay, resort during the hot weather. 224 A WOMAN'S JOUHNEY HOUND THIS \VOELD. In tlie Deccan, and the province of Bombay, I found the natives were less handsome than in Bengal and Hindostan ; their features were much coarser, and not so open and amiable. For several days we have again met very large trains of oxen, some of the drivers of which had their families with them. The females of these people were very ragged and dirty, and at the same time loaded with finery. The whole body was covered with coloured woollen borderings and fringes, the arms with bracelets of metal, bone, and glass beads; even to the ears large woollen tassels were hung, in addition to the usual ornaments, and the feet were loaded with" heavy rings and chains. Thus bedecked, the beauties sat on the backs of the oxen, or walked by the side of the animals. 17th March. Since the attack of the negroes in Brazil I had not been in such a fright as I was to-day. My driver had appeared to me, during the whole journey, somewhat odd in his manner, or rather foolish; sometimes abusing his oxen, sometimes caressing them, shouting to the passers-by, or turning round and staring at me for some minutes together. However, as I had a servant with me who always walked by the baili, I paid little attention to him. But this morning 1 my servant had gone on, without my consent, to the next station, and I found myself alone with this foolish driver, and on a rather secluded road. After some time he got down from the waggon, and went close behind it. The bailis are only covered over at the sides with straw matting, and are open at the front and back ; I could therefore observe what he was doing, but I would not turn round, as I did not wish to make him think that I suspected him. I, however, moved my head gradually on one side to enable me to watch his proceedings. He soon came in front again, and, to my terror, took from the waggon the hatchet which every driver carries with him, and again retired behind. I now thought nothing less than that he had evil intentions, but I could not fly from him, and dare not, of course, evince any fear. I very gently and unobserved drew my mantle towards me, rolled it together, so that I might, at least, protect my head with it, in case he made a blow at me with the hatchet. He kept me for some time in this painful state of suspense, then seated himself on his place and stared at me, got down again, and repeated the same proceedings several times. It was not until after a long hour that he laid the hatchet on one side, remained sitting on the waggon, and contented himself with gaping vacantly at me every now and then. At the end of a second hour we reached the station where my servant was, and I did not allow him to leave my side again. The villages through which we passed to-day were of the most wretched description; the walls of the huts were constructed of rushes, or reeds, covered with palm leaves ; some had no front wall. These villages are chiefly inhabited by Mahrattas, a race which were, at one period, rather powerful in India, und indeed in the whole peninsula. The} 7 were, however, expelled from Hindostan by the Mongols, in the eighteenth century, and fled into the mountains which extend from Surata to Goa. During the pre.sont century, the BOMBAY. 225 majority of these people were compelled to place themselves under the protection of the English. The only Mahratta prince who still maintains, in any degree, his independence is the Scindiah ; the others receive pensions. The Mahrattas are adherent to the religion of Brahma. They are powerfully built ; the colour of their skin varies from dirty black to clear brown; their features are repulsive and ill-formed. They are inured to all manner of hardships, live chiefly upon rice and water, and their disposition is represented as being morose, revengful, and savag'e. They excite themselves to lighting by means of opium, or Indian hemp, which they smoke like tobacco. In the afternoon I reached the little town of Pannwell. Travel- lers embark towards the evening 1 in boats, and proceed down the river Pannwell to the sea, reaching Bombay about morning. I had safely completed the long and tedious journey from Delhi to Pannwell in seven weeks. For having accomplished it I was especially indebted to the English officials, who afforded me both advice and assistance; their humanity, their cordial friendliness I shall ever remember. I again offer them my most sincere and warmest thanks, and the greatest compliment which I can pay them is the wish that my own countrymen, the Austrian consuls and ambassadors, resembled them* At Bombay I staid at the country-house of the Hamburgh consul, Herr Wattenbach, intending only to draw upon hishospitality for a few days, and to leave as soon as possible, in order to take advantage of the monsoon * in my passage through the Arabian and Persian seas. Days, however, grew into weeks, for the favourable time was already past, and the opportunity of meeting with ship conveyance was there very rare. Herr Wattenbach made my stay in Bombay very agreeable ; he showed me everything worth seeing, and accompanied me in excur- sions to Elephanta and Salsette. Bombay lies on a small but remarkably pretty island, which is separated from the main land by a very narrow arm of the sea ; its extent is about five square miles, and it is inhabited by 250,000 souls. Bombay is the principal town of Western India, and, as its harbour is the best and safest on the whole west coast, it is the chief seat of commerce for the produce and manufactures of India, the Malay country, Persia, Arabia, and Abyssinia. In a commercial respect it stands only second to Calcutta. In Bombay every language of the civilized world is to be heard, and the costumes and habits of every nation are to be seen. The finest view of the whole island and town of Bombay, as well as the neighbouring islands of Salsette, Elephanta, Ivolabeh, Caranjah, and the main land, is to be had from the Malabar point. The country, at some distance from the town, con- sists chiefly of low hills, which are covered with beautiful woods of cocoa-nut and date trees ; in the plain surrounding the town there are also many such groves divided into gardens by walls. The natives are very fond of building their dwelling's under the dark * Monsoons ar<> the periodical winds which blow during; one-half the year from east to west, during the other half from west to east. 226 shadows of these trees ; while, on the contrary, the Europeans seek for as much light and air as possible. The country-houses of the latter are handsome and convenient, but not to be compared with those of Calcutta, either in size or magnificence . The town lies on a level, along the sea-shore. The active life of the rich inland and European commercial popu- lation must be sought for in the fortified parts of the town, which constitute a large quadrangle. Here is to be found merchandise from all parts of the world. The streets are handsome, the large square called The Green especially so. The buildings most remarkable for their architectural beauty are the Town-hall, whose saloon has no equal, the English Church, the Governor's Palace, and the Mint. The Open Town and the Black Town* adjoin the fortified portions, and are considerably larger. In the Open Town the streets are very regular and broad, more so than any other Indian city that I saw ; they are also carefully watered. I observed many houses decorated with artistically-carved wooden pillars, capitals, and galleries. The bazaar is an object of great interest ; not, as many travellers affirm, on account of the richness of the merchandise, of which there is not more to be seen than in other bazaars in fact, there is not even any of the beautiful wood mosaic-work of which Bombay produces the finest but from the diversity of people, which is greater here than anywhere else. Three parts, indeed, are Hindoos, and the fourth Mahomedans, Persians, Fire-worshippers, Mahrattas, Jews, Arabs, Bedouins, Negroes, descendants of Portuguese, several hundred Euro- peans, and even some Chinese and Hottentots. It requires a long* time to be able to distinguish the people of the different nations by their dress and the formation of their faces. The most wealthy among 1 people owning property here are the Fire-worshippers, called also Gebers, or Parsees. They were expelled from Persia about 1,200 years since, and settled down along the west coast of India. As they are remarkably industrious and hard working, very well-disposed and benevolent, there are no poor, no beggars to be found among them all appear to be prosperous. The handsome houses in which the Europeans reside mostly belong to them ; they are the largest owners of land, ride out in the most beautiful carriages, and are surrounded by innumerable servants. One of the richest of them-: Jamsetize-Jeejeebhoy built, at his own expense, a handsome hospital in the Gothic style, and provides European medical men and receives the sick of every religious denomination. He was knighted by the English Government, and is certainly the first Hindoo who could congratulate himself on such a distinction. While speaking of the Fire-worshippers, I will relate all that I myself saw of them, as well as what I learnt from Manuckjee- Cursetjee, one of the most cultivated and distinguished among them. The Fire-worshippers believe in one Supreme Being. They pay the greatest reverence to the four elements, and especially to the element of fire, and to the sun, because they look upon them as emblems of the Supreme Being. Every morning they watch for the rising sun, and * The Black Town is that part of the town in which the poorer classes of inhabitants reside. That neither beauty nor cleanliness is to be sought there is a matter of course. PARSEE BURIAL CEREMONIES. 227 hasten out of their houses, and even outside of the town, to greet it immediately with prayers. Besides the elements, the cow is con- sidered sacred by them. Soon after my arrival I went one morning upon the esplanade of the town for the purpose of seeing- the great number of Parsees * who, as I had read, assembled themselves there waiting 1 for the first rays of the sun, on the appearance of which, as if at a given sig'nal, they throw themselves on the ground, and raise a loud cry of joy. I, however, merely saw several Parsees, not in g-roups, but standing- separately here and there, reading- silently from a book, or murmuring- a prayer to themselves. These did not even come at the same time, for many arrived as late as o'clock. It was precisely the same with the corpses which are stated to be exposed upon the roofs for the birds of prey to feed upon. I saw not a single one. In Calcutta, Mr. V , who had but recently come from Bombay, assured me that he had himself seen many. I cannot believe that the Kng-lish Government would permit such a barbarous proceedhm-, and one so prejudicial to health. But I must resume my narrative. .My iirst question, after I had been introduced to Idanuckjee, was as to the manner in which the Parsees bury their dead. He conducted me to a hill outside the town, and pointed out a wall, four-and-twenty feet hit instantly throw off his clothes and bathe. The Parsees are not les-; exclusive with resiiect to their temples; no one of any other belief is allowed to enter them, or even to look in. The temples which 1 saw here, of course only from the outside, are very small, extremely plain, and destitute of 'the slightest pecu- liarity of architecture ; the round entrance-hall surrounds a kind of fore-court, enclosed by a wall. I was only allowed to g-o as far as * There arc in Jill only 0,000 Parsees in the island of Bombay. P 228 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY BOUND THE WOULD. the entrance of the wall leading to the fore-court. The handsomest temple in Bombay* is a small unimportant building, and I must again contradict those 'descriptions which make so much of the beautiful temples of the Fire-worshippers. As I was informed by Manuckjee, the fire burns in a kind of iron vase, in a completety empty, unornamented temple or apartment. The Parsees affirm that the fire which burns in the principal temple, and at which all the others are lighted, originates from the fire which their prophet, Zoroaster, lighted in Persia 4,000 years since. When they were driven out of Persia they took it with them. This fire is not fed with ordinary wood alone : more costly kinds, such as sandal, rosewood, and such like, are mixed with it. The priests are called magi, and in each temple there is a con- siderable number of them. They are distinguished, as regards their dress, from the other Parsees, only by a white turban. They are allowed to marry. The women visit the temple generally at different hours from the men. They are not forbidden to go there at the same time as the latter; but they never do so, and, indeed, very seldom go at all. A pious Parsee is supposed to pray daily four times, and each time for an hour; for this purpose, however, 'it is not necessary that he should go to the temple ; he fixes his eyes upon fire, earth, or water, or stares into the open air. Whoever finds four hours of prayer daily too much ingratiates himself with the priests, who are humane arid considerate, like the priests of other religions, and willingly release applicants from their cares for the consideration of a moderate gift. The Parsees prefer offering up their prayers in the morning in the presence of the sun, which they honour the most, as the greatest and most sacred fire. The worship of fire is carried to such an extent by them that they do not pursue any trades which require the use of fife, neither will they fire a gun, or extinguish a light. They let their kitchen-fires burn out. Many travellers even affirm that they will not assist in extinguishing a conflagration ; but this is-- not the case. I was assured that on such an occasion, some years since, many Parsees had been seen giving' their help to put the fire out. Manuckjee was so obliging as to invite me to his house, that I might become acquainted in some degree with the mode of life of Parsee families ; he also conducted me to the houses of several of his friends. I found the rooms furnished in the European manner, with chairs, tables, sofas, ottomans, pictures, mirrors, &c. The dress of the women was little different from that of the more wealthy Hindoos ; it was more decorous, as it was not made of transparent muslin, but of silk; and they had, moreover, trousers. The silk was richly embroidered with gold, which luxury is extended to three-year old children. The ynuiiirrr ones, :md even the newly-born infants, are wrapped in plain silk stuff. The children wore little caps, worked with gold and silver. The Parsee women consider gold ornaments And yet Bombay is the principal seat of the Fire-worshippers. THE PARSEES, OB FIRE-WORSHIFPEBS. 229 pearl, and precious stones as necessary a part of their dress as the Hindoos ; even in the house they wear a great quantity, but when visiting-, or on the occasion of any festival, the jewellery of a wealthy Parsee woman is said to exceed in value 100,000 rupees (10,000). Children of only seven or eight months old wear finger-ring's and bracelets of precious stones or pearls. The dress of the men consists of wide trousers and long- kaftans. The shirts and trousers are chiefly made of white silk, the^jacket of white muslin. The turban differs greatly from that of the Ma- homedans ; it is a cap of pasteboard,^ covered with coloured stuff or waxed cloth, ten or twelve inches high. Both men and women wear round their waists, over the shirt, a girdle passing twice round, which they take off during- prayers and hold in their hands ; with this exception, they are never seen without it. The law is so strict with regard to the point, that whoever does not wear the girdle is driven out of society. J\o agreement or contract is valid if the grirdle is not worn when it is made. The children begin to wear it when they reach their ninth year. Before this ceremony they do not belong- to the community ; they may even eat of food prepared by Christians," and the girls can accompany their fathers in a public place. The girdle changes all ; the son eats at his father's table, the girls remain at home, &c. A second religious ordinance relates to the shirt; this must be cut of a certain length and breadth, and consist of nine seams, which are folded over each other on the breast in a peculiar manner. A Parsee is allowed to have only one wife. If the wife has no children, or only girls, durinu- a period of nine years, he can, if she consent, be divorced from her, and marry another ; he must, however, still provide for her. >She can also marry again. According- to the religious belief of the Parsee, he is certain to enjoy perfect happiness in a future state of existence if he has a wife and a son in this life. The Parsees are not divided into castes. In the course of time the Parsees have acquired many of the customs of the Hindoos. For example, the women are not allowed to show themselves in public places ; in the house they are separated from the men, take their meals alone, and are, upon the whole, considered more as mere property. The girls are promised when children, and betrothed to the man when in their fourteenth year; if, however, the bridegroom dies, the parents can seek for another. It is considered by the Parsees to be a disgrace if the father does not rind a husband for his -daughter. The Parsee women, however, enjoy far more freedom in their houses than the unfortunate Hindoos : they are allowed to sit even at the front windows, and sometimes be present when their husbands receive visits from their male friends, and on both occasions without being- veiled. The Parsees may be easily distinguished from all other Asiatic people by their features, and especially by the lighter colour of their skin. Their features are rather regular, but somewhat sharp, and the cheek-bones are broad. I did not think them so handsome as the Mahomedans and Hindoos. p 2 230 A WOMAN'S JOUE^EY BOUSD THE WORLD. Manuckjee is a great exception to his country people. He i^ 7 perhaps, the first who has visited Paris, London, and a considerable part of Italy. He was so well pleased with European manners and customs, that on his return he endeavoured to introduce several- reforms among the people of his sect. Unfortunately, he was unsuc- cessful. He was decried as a man who did not know what he would be doing, and many withdrew from him their friendship and respect in consequence. He allows his family to go about the house with freedom ; but even there he cannot depart much from established custom, as he- does not wish to separate entirely from his sect. His daughters ar$ educated in the. European method ; the eldest plays a little on the piano, embroiders, and sews. She wrote a small paragraph in English* in my album very well. Her father did not engage her as a child, but wished that her own inclinations might correspond with his selection of a husband. I was told that she would probably not meet with one, because she is educated too much in the European style ; she is already fourteen years of age, and her father has not yet provided her with a bridegroom. When I first visited this house, the mother and daughters were seated in a drawing-room, engaged with needlework. I remained during their meal-time, a liberty which an orthodox Parsce would not have afforded to me ; I was not, however, allowed to join them at table. It was first laid for me, and I ate alone. Several dishes were placed before me, which, with slight deviations, were prepared in the European manner. Every one, with the exception of the master of the house, watched with surprise the way in which I used a knife and fork ; even the servants stared at this, to them, singular spectacle. When I had sufficiently appeased my appetite in. this public manner, the table \\*as as carefully brushed as if I had been infected with the plague. Flat cakes of 'bread were then brought and laid upon the uncovered table, instead of plates, and six or seven of the same dishes which had been served to me. The members of the family each washed their hands and faces, and the father said a short grace. All except the youngest child, who was only six years of age, sat at the table, and reached with their right hands into the different dishes. They tore the flesh from the bones, separated the flesh into pieces, and then dipped the pieces into the various soups and fauces, and threw them with such dexterity into the mouth, that they did not touch their lips with their fingers. Whoever accidently does must immediately get up and wash his hand again, or else place before him the dish into which he has put his unwashed hand, and not touch any other one. The left hand is not used during the whole meal-time. This mode of eating appears, indeed, very uninviting ; but it is, in fact, not at all so; the hand is washed, and does not touch anything but the food. It is the same in drinking : the vessel is not put to the lips, but the liquid is very cleverly poured into the open mouth. Before the children have acquired this dexterity in eating" and drinking, they are not permitted, even when they wear the girdle, to come to the table of the adults. IXDIAK BURIAL CEREMONIES. 231 Tlie most common drink in Bombay is called sud or toddy, a kind of light spirituous beverage which is made from the cocoa and date- palm. The taxes upon these trees are very high ; the latter are, as in Egypt, numbered and separately assessed. A tree which is only cultivated for fruit pays from a quarter to half a rupee (Gd. to Is.) ; those from which toddy is extracted, from three-quarters to one rupee each. The people here do not climb the palm-trees by means of rope- ladders, but they cut notches in the tree, in which they set their feet. During- my stay here, an old Hindoo woman died near to Heir Wattenbach's house, which circumstance gave me an opportunity of witnessing an Indian funeral. As soon as she began to show si-ns of death, the women about her every now and then set up a horrible howling, which they continued at short intervals after her decease. Presently, small processions of six or eight women approached, who also commenced howling us soon -as they discovered the house of the mourners. These women all entered the house. The men, of whom there were a great number present, seated themselves quietly in front of it. At the expiration of some hours, the dead body was enveloped in a white shroud, laid upon an open bier, and carried by the men to the place where it was to be burnt. One of them carried a vessel with charcoal and a piece of lighted wood, for the purpose of igniting the wood with the lire of the house. The women remained behind, and collected in front of the house in a small circle, in the middle of which was placed a woman >vho was hired to assist in the lamentations. She commenced a wailing song of several stanzas, at the end of each of which the whole joined in chorus; they kept time also by beating their breasts with the right hand and bowing their heads to the ground. They executed this movement as quickly and regularly as if they had been dolls worked by a wire. After this had been earned on for a quarter of an hour, there was u short pause, during which the women struck their breasts with both their iists so violently, that the blows could be heard at some consider- able distance. After each blow, they stretched their hands up high and bowed their heads very low, all With great regularity and rapid- ity. This proceeding seemed even more comical than the first. After much exertion, they seated themselves round in a ring, drank toddy, and smoked tobacco. On the following morning, both men and women repeated their visit. The former, however, did not enter the house ; they lit a fire and prepared a plain meal. As often as a party of women came, one of the men Went to the house-dour and announced them, upon which the principal mourner came out of the house to receive them. She- threw herself with such violence on the ground before them, that I thought she would not be able to rise up again ; the women struck themselves with their iists once on their breasts, and then drew their hands to their heads. The widow raised herself in the meantime, threw herself impetuously round the necks of each of the women, throwing, at the same time, her head-dress over the head of her consoler, and both endeavoured to outdo each other in howling. All these evolutions were very rapidly performed ; a dozen embraces were 232 A WOMAN'S JOUJINET HOUXD THE WOELD. gone through in a moment. After the reception, they went into the house and continued howling- at intervals. It was not until sunset that all was still, and a supper concluded the whole affair. The women ate in the house the men in the open air. Funerals and marriages always cost the Hindoos a great deal. The one here described was that of a woman of the poorer class. Nevertheless, it is considered essential that there should be no want of toddy during" two days, or of provisions for meals, at which there are an abundance of guests. In addition to this, there is the wood, which also costs a considerable sum, even when it is only common wood. The rich, who use on such occasions the most costly wood,, frequently pay more than a thousand rupees (100). I once met the funeral procession of a Hindoo child. It lay upon, a cushion, covered with a white sheet, and was strewed with fresh and beautiful flowers. A man carried it on both his arms as gently and carefully as if it was sleeping-. In this instance, also, there were only men present. The Hindoos have no particular festival-day in the week, but festivals at certain -times, which last for some days. I was present at one of these during my stay, Warusche-Parupu, the New- Year's festival, which took place on the llth of April. It was a kind of fast-night celebration. The principal amusement consisted in thro wing- yellow, brown, and red colours over each other, and painting them- selves with the same on their cheeks and foreheads. The noisy tam- tam, or a couple of violins, headed the procession, and greater or less followed, who, laughing- and singing, danced from house to house, or from one place to another. Several, indeed, on this occasion, found the toddy rather too exciting, but not so much as to lose their con- sciousness or to exceed the bounds of decorum. The women do not take part in these public processions ; but, in the evening 1 , both sexes assemble in the houses, where the festivities are said not to be earned on in the most decorous manner. Martyrs' festivals are no longer celebrated with full splendour. I did not see any ; their time is past. I was, however, so fortunate as to see a martyr, to whom great numbers of people flocked. This holy man had for three-and-twenty years held one of his arms raised up with the hand turned back so far that a flower-pot could stand upon it. The three-and-twenty years were passed, and the flower-pot was removed ; but neither hand nor arm was to be brought into any other position, for the muscles had contracted, the arm was quite withered, and presented a most repulsive appearance. The Island of Elephanta is about six or eight miles distant from Bombay. Herr Wattenbach was so kind as to take me there one day. I saw some rather high mountains, which, however, we did not ascend ; we visited only the temples, which are very near to the landing-place. The principal temple resembles the larger viharas at Adjunta, with the single exception, that it is separated on both sides from the solid rock, and is connected with it only above, below, and at the back. In the sanctuary stands a gigantic three-headed bust. Some believe that it represents the Hindoo Trinity; one of the heads is- THE ISLAND OF SALSETTA. 233 full-faced, the two others in profile, one right, the other left. The bust, including the head-dress, measures certainly as much as eight feet. On the walls and in the niches, there are a number of giant statues and figures ; in fact, whole scenes of the Hindoo mythology. The female figures are remarkable ; they all have the left hip turned out, the right turned inwards. The temple appears to be devoted to the god Shiva. In the neighbourhood of the large temple stands a smaller one, whose walls are also covered with deities. Both temples were much injured by the Portuguese, who, when they conquered the island, in their noble religious zeal planted camion before them, in order to destroy the shocking Pagan temples ; in which attempt they succeeded much 'better than in the" conversion of the Pagans. Several columns are quite in ruins ; nearly all are more or less damaged, and the ground is covered with fragments. !Xone of either the gods or their attendants escaped uninjured. There is a most enchanting view across the sea of the extensive town, and the delightful hills surrounding it, from the facade of the large temple. We passed a whole day here very agreeably. During the hot hours of noon, we amused ourselves by reading in the cool shadows of the temple. Ilerr Wattenbarh had sent on several servants previously ; among others, the cook, together with tables, chairs, provisions, books, and newspapers. In my opinion, this was rather superfluous; but what would my countrywomen have .--aid could they have seen the English family which we accidentally met with here ; they carried several couches, easy chairs, enormous foot- stools, a tent, &c., with them. That is what I call a simple country Salsetta (also called Tiger Island) is united to Bombay by means of a short artificial dam. The distance from the fort to* the village, behind which the temples are situated, is eighteen miles, which we travelled, with relays of horses, in three hours. The roads were excel- lent, the carriage rolled along as if on a floor. The natural beauty of this island far exceeds that of Bombav. Not mere rows of hills, but magnificent mountain chains here raise their heads, covered even to their summits with thick Moods, from which bare clifls here and there project; the valleys are planted with rich fields of corn, and slender given palms. The island does not appear to be densely populated. I saw only a few villages and a single small town inhabited by Mahrattas, whose appearance is as needy and dirty as those near Ivundalla. From the village where we left the carriage we had still three miles to go to the temples. The principal temple alone is in the style of a chaitza ; but it is surrounded by an uncommonly high porch, at both extremities of which idols one-and-twenty feet high stand in niches. Adjoining to the right is a second temple, which contains several priests' cells, allegorical figures of deities, and reliefs. Besides these two, there are innumerable other smaller ones in the rocks, which extend on both sides from the principal temple; I was told there were more than a hundred. They are all viharas, with the exception of the principal 234 A WOMAX'S JOURXEY KOUXD THE WORLD. temple ; the greater number, however, are scarcely larger than ordi- nary small chambers, and are destitute of any peculiarity. The rock temples of Elephaiita and Salsetta rank, in respect to magnitude, grandeur, and art, far below these of Adjunta and Elora, and are of interest only to those who have not seen the latter. It is said that the temples at Salsetta are not much visited, because there is considerable danger attending- it ; the country is represented to be full of tigers, and so many wild bees are said to swarm round the temples that it is impossible to enter them ; and moreover the robbers, Avhich are known by the name of bheels, live all round here. We fortunately met with none of these misfortunes. Later, indeed, I wandered about here alone. I was not satisfied with a single sight, and left my friends privately while they were taking their noon rest, and clambered from rock to rock as far as the most remote temple. In one I found the skin and horns of a g'oat that had been devoured, which sight somewhat frightened me ; but, trusting to the unsociability of the tiger, who will rather fly from a man in broad day than seek him out, I continued my ramble. We had, as I have said, no danger to resist ; it was different with two gentlemen who, some days later, nearly fell victims, not indeed to wild beasts, but to wild bees. One of them knocked upon an opening in the side of the rock, when an immense swarm of bees rushed out upon them, and it was only by the greatest exertion that they escaped, miserably stung on the head, face, and hands. This occurrence was published in the newspapers as a warning for others. The climate of Bombay is healthier than that of Calcutta ; even the heat is more tolerable on account of the continual sea-breezes, although Bombay lies five degrees further south. The musquitos here, as in all hot countries, are very tormenting. A centipede slipped into my bed one evening, but I fortunately discovered it in time. I had already decided upon taking my passage in an Arabian boat, which w T as to leave for Bassora on the 2nd of April, when Herr Wat- tenbach brought the news that on the 10th a small steamer would make its first voyage to Bassora. This afforded me great pleasure I did not suspect that it would happen with a steamer as with a sailing' vessel, whose departure is postponed from day to day; nevertheless, we did not leave the harbour of Bombay until the 23rd of April. CIIAPTEH XVII. FROM BOMBAY TO BAGHDAD. DEPAIITUIIE FUOM BOMBAY SMAT.L-POX MUSCAT BANDK-AEAS TUB PERSIANS Tin: KISHMA STKAITS BUS<;:IIU KXHIAXCK INTO THE SGHATEL-AKAB BASSOKA EM-KANCK INTO THE TIGUIS BEDOUIN TIUBKS CxESiniox AM> SLLKU- CIA AnnivAL AT BAGHDAD. THE steamer "Sir Charles Forbes" (forty horse-power, Captain Lich- field) had only two cabins, a small and a large one. The former had already been engaged for some time by an Englishman, Mr. Ross; the latter was bespoken by some rich Persians for their wives and chil- dren. I was, therefore, obliged to content myself with a place upon deck ; however, I took my meals at the captain's table, who showed me the most extreme attention and kindness during the whole voyage. The little vessel was, in the fullest sense of the word, overloaded with people ; the crew alone numbered forty-five ; in addition to that there were 124 passengers, chiefly Persians, Mahomedans, and Arabs. Mr. lioss and myself were the only Europeans. "\Yhen this crowd of persons were collected, there was not the smallest clear space on the deck ; to get from one place to another it was necessary to climb over innumerable chests raid boxes, and at the same time to use great cau- tion not to tread upon the heads or i'eet of the people. In such critical circumstances I looked about immediately to see where I could possibly secure a good place. I found what 1 sought, and was the most fortunate of all the passengers, more so than even Mr. ]{oss, who could not sleep any night in his cabin on account of the heat and insects. My rye fell' upon the under part of the captain's dinner-table, which was iixed upon the stern deck ; I took pi sion of this place, and threw my mantle round me, so that I had a pretty secure position, and no cause to fear that I should have my hands, feet, or indeed my head trodden upon. I was somewhat unwell when I left Bombay, and on the second day of the voyage a slight attack of bilious fever came on. I had to contend with this for five days. 1 crept painfully from my asylum at meal times to make way for the feet of the people at table. I did not. take any medicine ( I carried none with me), but trusted to Providence and my good constitution. A much more dangerous malady than mine was discovered on board on the third day of the voyage. The small-pox was in the large, cabin. Eighteen women and seven children were crammed in there. They had much less room than the negroes in a slave-ship ; the air was in the highest degree infected, and they were not allowed to go on the deck, filled as it was with men ; even we deck passengers 236 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. were in great anxiety lest the bad air might spread itself over the whole ship through the opened windows. The disease had already broken out on the cKildren before they were brought on board ; but no one could suspect it, as the women came late at night, thickly .veiled, and enveloped in large mantles, under which they carried the children. It was only on the third day, when one of the children died, that we discovered our danger. The child was wrapped in a white cloth, fastened upon a plank, which was weighted by some pieces of coal or stone, and lowered into the sea. At the moment that it touched the water, the waves closed over it, and it was lost to our sight. I do not know whether a relation was present at this sad event ; I saw no tears flow. The poor mother might, indeed, have sorrowed, but she dare not accompany her child ; custom forbade it. Two more deaths occurred, the other invalids recovered, and the contagion happily did not spread any further. 30th April. To-day we approached very near to the Arabian coast, where we saw a chain of mountains which were barren and by no means attractive. On the following morning ( 1st of May) small forts and watch-towers made their appearance, here and there, upon the peaks of beautiful groups of rock, and presently, also, a large one was perceptible upon an extensive mountain at the entrance of a creek. We came to anchor off the town of Muscat, which lies at the extremity of the creek. This town, which is subject to an Arabian prince, is very strongly fortified and surrounded by several ranges of extraordinarily-formed rocks, all of which are also occupied by forts and towers. The largest of these excites a sad reminiscence : it was formerly a cloister of Portuguese monks, and was attacked by the Arabs one night, who murdered^ the whole of its inmates. This occurrence took place about two centuries since. The houses of the town are built of stone, with small windows and terraced roofs. Two houses, distinguished from the others only by their larger dimensions, are the palaces of the mother of the reigning prince, and of the sheikh (governor). Some of the streets are so narrow that two persons can scarcely walk together. The bazaar, according to the Turkish custom, consists of covered passages, under which the merchants sit cross-legged before their miserable stalls. In the rocky valley in which Muscat lies the heat is very op- pressive ( 124 Fah. in the sun), and the sunlight is very injurious to the eyes, as it is not in the slightest degree softened by any vegetation. Far and wide there are no Itrees, no shrubs or grass to be seen. Every one who is in any way engaged here, go as soon as their business is finished to their country-houses situated by the open .. Sometimes under Turkish, sometimes under IVrsiau dominion, it was at last, permanently placed under the latter power. There are no vestiges of antiquity remaining 1 ; neither ruins of hand- some mosques nor caravansaries. The fortified walls are much dilapidated, the houses of the town small and unattractive, the .streets crooked, narrow, and dirty. The bazaar, which consists of covered galleries, with wretched stalls, cannot show a single good stock of goods, although Bassora is the principal emporium and trading- port for the Indian wares imported into Turkey. There are several coffee-stalls and a second-rate caravansary in the bazaar. A large open space, not very remarkable for cleanliness, serves in the uie gold, and representing 1 gods. The hanging gardens (one of the seven wonders of the world) are ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar, who is said to have built them at the wish of his wife Amytis. Six hundred and thirty years before Christ the Babylonian empire was at the highest point of its magnificence. At this time it was conquered by the Chaldeans. It was afterwards subject in succes- sion to the Persians, Osmans, Tartars, and others, until the year A.D. 1037, since which time it has remained under the Osman govern- ment. The temple of Belus or Baal was destroyed by Xerxes, and Alex- ander the Great would have restored it; but, as it would have required 10,000 men for two months (others h ay two years) merely to remove the rubbish, he did not attempt it. One of the palaces is described as having been the residence of the king; the other a castle. Unfortunately they arc so fallen to decay that they afford no means of forming 1 a satisfactory opinion even to antiquarians. It is supposed, however, that the ruins ca Mujellibe are the remains of the casrle. Another large heap of ruins is situated about a mile distant, called El Kasir. According 1 to some, 256 A WOMAN'S JOURSEY EOUND THE WORLD. tlie temple of Baal stood here ; according to others, the royal palace. Massive fragments of walls and columns are still to be seen, and in a hollow a lion in dark grey granite, of such a size that at some dis- tance I took it for an elephant. It is very much damaged, and, to judge from what remains, does not appear to have been the work of a great artist. The mortar is of extraordinary hardness ; it is easier to break the bricks themselves than to separate them from it. The bricks of all the ruins are partly yellow and partly red, a foot long, nearly as broad, and half an inch thick. In the ruins El Kasir stands a solitary tree, which belongs to a species of fir which is quite unknown in this district. The Arabs call it Athale, and consider it sacred. There are said to be several of the same kind near Buschir ; they are there called Goz or Guz. Many writers see something- very extraordinary in this tree ; in- deed they go so far as to consider it as a relic of the hanging- gardens, and affirm that it gives out sad melancholy tones when the wind plays through its branches, &c. Everything, indeed, is possible with God; but that this half-stunted tree, which is scarcely eighteen feet high, and whose wretched stem is at most only nine inches in diame- ter, is full 3,000 years old, appears to me rather too improbable ! The country round Babylon is said to have been formerly sa flourishing and fruitful that it was called the Paradise of Chaldea. This productiveness ceased with the existence of the building-s. As I had seen everything completely, I rode on as far as Hilla, on the other side of the Euphrates. A most miserable bridge of forty-six boats is here thrown across the river, which is 430 feet broad. Planks and trunks of trees are laid from one boat to the other, which move up and down at every step : there is no railing at the side, and the space is so narrow that two riders can scarcely pass. The views along the river are very charming : I found the vegetation here still rich, and several mosques and handsome buildings give life to the blooming landscape. In Hilla I was received by a rich Arab. As the sun was already very near setting, I was shown to a beautiful terrace instead of at room. A delicious pilau, roast lamb, and steamed vegetables were sent to me for supper, with water and sour milk. The terraces here were not surrounded by any walls a circum- stance which was very agreeable to me, as it gave me an opportunity of observing the mode of life and customs of my neighbours. In the courtyards I saw the women engaged in making bread, and in the same way as at Bandr-Abas. The men and children meanwhile spread straw mats upon the terraces, and brought dishes with pilaus, vegetables, or some other eatables. As soon as the bread was ready they began their meal. The women also seated themselves, and I thought that the modern Arabs were sufficiently advanced in civiliza- tion to give my sex their place at table. But to my regret I saw the poor women, instead of helping themselves from the dishes, take straw fans to keep off the flies from the heads of their husbands. They may have had their meal afterwards in the house, for I did not see them- eat anything, either upon the terraces or in the courts. They all slept HILLA. 257 upon the terraces. Both men and women wrapped themselves in rugs, and neither the one nor the other took off any of their clothing. 1st June. I had ordered for this morning two fresh horses and Arabs as a guard, that I might proceed with some safety to the ruins of Birs Nimroud. These ruins are situated six miles distant from Hilla, in the desert or plain of Shinar, near the Euphrates, upon a hill 265 feet high, built of bricks, and consist of the fragments of a wall twenty-eight feet long, on one side thirty feet high, and on the other thirty-five. The greater part of the bricks are covered with inscriptions. Near this wall lie several large blackish blocks which might be taken for lava, and it is only on closer examination that they are found to be remains of walls. It is supposed that such a change could only have been brought about by lightning. People are not quire unanimous in their opinions with respect to these ruins. Some affirm that they are the remains of the Tower of Babel, others that they are those of the Temple of Baal. There is an extensive view from the top of the hill over the de- sert, the town of Hilla with its charming palm-gardens, and over innumerable mounds of rubbish and brickwork. Near these ruins stands an unimportant Mahomedan chapel, which is said to be on the same spot where, according to the Old Testament, the three youths were cast into the furnace for refusing to worship idols. In the afternoon I was again in Hilla. I looked over the town, which is said to contain 26,000 inhabitants, and found it built like all Oriental towns. Before the Kerbela gates is to be seen the little mosque Esshems, which contains the remains of the prophet Joshua. It completely resembles the sepulchre of the Queen Zobiede near Baghdad. Towards evening the family of my obliging host, together with some other women and children, paid me a visit. Their natural good sense had deterred them from visiting me on the day of my arrival, when they knew I was fatigued by the long ride. I would willingly have excused their visit to-day also, for neither the rich nor poor Arabs have much idea of cleanliness. They, moreover, would put the little dirty children into my arms or on my lap, and I did not know how to relieve myself of this pleasure. Many of them had Aleppo boils, and others sore eyes and skin diseases. After the women and chil- dren had left, my host came. He was, at least, clean in his dress, and conducted himself with more politeness. On the 2nd of July I left Hilla at sunrise, and went on, without stop- ping, to the Khan tScandaria (sixteen miles), where I remained some hours ; and then went the same day as far as Bir-Zanus, sixteen miles further. About an hour after midnight I again halted, and took a soldier to accompany me. We had scarcely proceeded four or five miles from the khan when we perceived a very suspicious noise. We stopped, and the servant told me to be very quiet, so that our pre- sence might not he detected. The soldier dismounted, and creeped rather than walked in the sand to reconnoitre the dangerous spot. My exhaustion was so great that, although alone in this dark night on the terrible desert, I began to doze upon the horse, and did not wake up till the soldier returned with a cry of joy, and told us that 2o8 A WOMAN'S JOUENEY ROUND THE WORLD. we had not fallen in with a horde of robbers, but with a sheikh, who, in company with his followers, was going to Baghdad. We set spurs to our horse?, hastened after the troop, and joined them. The chief greeted me by passing 1 his hand over his forehead towards his breast ; and, as a sign of his good will, offered me his arms, a club with an iron head, covered with a number of spikes. Only a sheikh is allowed to carry such a weapon. I remained in the sheikh's company until sunrise, and then quick- ened my horse's pace, and at about eight o'clock was again seated in my chamber at Baghdad, after having, in the short space of three days and a half, ridden 132 miles and walked about a. great deal. The distance from Baghdad to Hilla is considered to be sixty miles, and from Hilla to Birs Nimroud six. I had now seen everything in and around Baghdad, and was de- sirous of starting on iny journey towards Ispahan. Just at this time the Persian prince, Il-Hany-Ala-Culy-Mirza, sent me a letter, inform- ing me that he had received very bad news from his native country ; the governor of Ispahan had been murdered, and the whole province was in a state of revolt. It was therefore impossible to enter Persia by this route. I decided in this case to go as far as Mossul, and there determine my further course according to circumstances. Before concluding my account of Baghdad, I must state that at first I was greatly afraid of scorpions, as I had heard that there were great numbers there ; but I never saw one, either in the sardabs or on the terraces, and during- my stay of four weeks only found one in the court. CHAPTER XIX. MOSUL AIN'D JflJfEVEH. JOURNEY OF THE CARAVAN THROUGH THE DESERT ARRIVAL AT MOSUL CURIOSITIES EXCURSION TO THE UUINSOF XINKVEH AND THE VILLAGE OK XEBBI YUNCS SECOND EXCURSION TO THE RUINS or NINEVEH TEL-XIMROUD ARABIAN HORSES DEPARTURE FROM MOSUL. IN order to travel from Baghdad to Mosul safely, and wi hout great expense, it is necessary to join a caravan. I requested Herr Swoboda to direct me to a trustworthy caravan guide. I was indeed advised not to trust myself alone among the Arabs, at least to take a ser- vant with me; but, with my limited resources, this would have been too expensive. Moreover, I was already pretty well acquainted with the people, and knew from experience that, they might be trusted. A caravan was to have left on the 14th of June, but the caravan guides, like the ship captains, always delay some days, and so we did not start until the 17th instead of the 14th. The distance from Baghdad to Mosul is 300 miles, which occupy in travelling from twelve to fourteen days. Travellers ride either horses or mules, and in the hot months travel during the night. I had hired a mule for myself and my little baggage, for which I paid the low price of fifteen krans (12s. Gd.), and had neither fodder nor anything else to provide. Every one who intends proceeding with the caravan is obliged to jis.-emble before the city gate about 5 o'clock in the evening. Herr Swoboda accompanied me there, and part.cularly recommended me to the care of the caravan guide, and promised him in my name a good bachshish if he saved me all the trouble he could during the journey. In this way I entered upon a fourteen dnys' journey through deserts and steppes a journey full of difficulties and dangers, without any convenience, shelter, or protection. I travelled like the poorest Aral), and was obliged, like him, to be content to bear the most burn- ing sun, with no food but bread and water, or, at the most, a handful of dates, or some cucumbers, and with the hot ground for a bed. 1 had, while in Baghdad, written out a small list of Arabian words, so that I might procure what was most necessary. Signs were easier to me than words, and, by the aid of both, I managed to get on very well. I became in time so used to the signs that, in places where I could make use of the language, I was obliged to take some pains to prevent myself from using my hands at the same time. While I was taking leave of Herr Swoboda, my little portmanteau, and a basket with bread and other trifles, had already been put into two sacks, which were hung over the back of the mule. My mantle 260 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. and cushion formed a comfortable soft seat, and everything- was in readiness only the mounting' was rather difficult, as there was no stirrup. Our caravan was small. It counted only twenty-six animals, most of which carried merchandise, and twelve Arabs, of whom five wenfc on foot. A horse or mule carries from two to three and a half hun- dredweight, according- to the state of the road. About 6 we started. Some miles outside the town several other travellers joined us, chiefly pedlars with loaded animals, so that pre- sently our party increased in numbers to sixty. But our numbers changed every evening-, as some always remained behind, or others joined us. We often had with us some shocking vagabonds, of whom I was more afraid than robbers. It is, moreover, said not to be uncom- mon for thieves to join the caravan, for the purpose of carrying oil their depredations, if there should be an opportunity of doing so. I should, on the whole, have no great faith in the protection which such a caravan is capable of affording, as the people who travel in this way are principally pedlars, pilgrims, and such like, who probably have never in their lives used a sword or fired a gun. A. few dozen well-armed robbers would certainly get the better of a caravan of even a hundred persons. On the first night we rode ten hours, until we reached Jengitsche. The country around was flat and barren, uncultivated and uninhabited. Some few miles outside Baghdad cultivation appeared to be suddenly cut off, and it was not until we came to Jengitsche that we saw again palms and stubble-fields, showing that human industry is capable of producing something everywhere. Travelling with caravans is very fatiguing : although a walking pace is never exceeded, they are on the road from nine to twelve hours without halting. When travelling at night the proper rest is lost, and in the day it is scarcely possible to get any sleep, exposed in the open air to the excessive heat, and the annoyances of flies and mosquitoes. 18th June. In Jengitsche we met with a chan, but it was by no means equal in appearance and cleanliness to that on the road to Baby- lon ; its chief advantage was being situated near the Tigris. The chan was surrounded by a small village, to which I proceeded for the purpose of satisfying my hunger. I went from hut to hut ? and at last fortunately succeeded in obtaining some milk and three eggs. I laid the eggs in the hot ashes and covered them over, filled my leathern flask from the Tigris, and thus loaded returned proudly to the chan. The eggs I ate directly, but saved the milk for the evening. After this meal, procured with some difficulty, I certainly felt happier, and more contented than many who had dined in the most sumptuous manner. During my search through the village I noticed, from the number of ruined houses and huts, that it seemed to have been of some extent formerly. Here, also, the last plague had carried off the greater part of the inhabitants ; for, at the present time, there were only a few very poor families. I here saw a very peculiar mode of making butter. The cream was put into a leathern bottle, and shaken about on the ground until JOURNEY OF THE CARAVAN THROUGH THE DESERT. 261 the butter had formed. When made, it was put into another bottle filled with water. It was as wliite as snow, and I should have taken it for lard if I had not seen it made. We did not start this evening- before 10 o'clock, and then rode eleven hours without halting 1 to Uesi. The country here was less barren than that between Baghdad and Jengitsche. We did not, indeed, see any villages on the road ; but small groups of palms, and the barking of dogs, led us to conclude that there were some very near. At sunrise we were gratified by the sight of a low range of mountains, and the monotony of the plain was here and there broken at intervals by small rows of hills. 19th June. Yesterday I was not quite satisfied with the chan at Jengitsche ; but I should have been very thankful for a far worse one to-day, that we might have found any degree of shelter from the piti- less heat of the sun : instead, we were obliged to make our resting- place in a field of stubble, far removed from human habitations. The caravan guide endeavoured to give me some little shade by laying a small cover over a couple of poles stuck into the ground ; but the place was so small, and the artificial tent so weak, that I was com- pelled to sit quietly in one position, as the slightest movement would have upset me. How I envied the missionaries and scientific men who undertake their laborious journeys furnished with horses, tents, provisions, and servants ! When I wished, shortly afterwards, to take some refreshment, I had nothing but lukewarm water, bread so hard that I was obliged to sop it in water to be able to eat it, and a cucum- ber without salt or vinegar ! However, I did not lose my courage and endurance, or regret, even for a moment, that I had exposed myself to these hardships. We set out again about 8 o'clock in the evening, and halted about 4 in the morning at Deli-Abas. The low range of mountains still remained at our side. From Deli-Abas we crosssd the river Hassel by a bridge built over it. *J< )tli June. We found a chan here ; but it was so decayed that we were obliged to encamp outside, as there is danger of snakes and scorpions in such ruins. A number of dirty Arab tents lay near the chan. The desire for something more than bread and cucumber, or old, half-rotten dates, overcame my disgust, and I crept into several of these dwellings. The people offered me buttermilk and bread. I noticed several hens running about the tents with their young, and eagerly looking for food. I would gladly have bought one, but, as 1 was not disposed to kill and prepare it myself, I was obliged to be contented with the bread and buttermilk. Some plants grow in this neighbourhood which put me in mind of my native country the wild fennel. At home I scarcely thought them worth a glance, while here they were a source of extreme grati- fication. I am not ashamed to say that at the sight of these flowers the tears came into my eyes, and I leant over them and kissed them as I would a dear friend. We started again to-day as early as 5 in the evening, as we had now the most dangerous stage of the journey before us, and were desirous of passing it before nightfall. The uniformly flat R 2 262 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUSD THE WORLD. sandy desert in some degree altered in character. Hard gravel rattled under the hoofs of the animals; mounds and strata of rock alternated with rising- ground. Many of the former were projecting from the ground in their natural position; others had been carried down by floods, or piled over each other. If this strip had not amounted to more than 500 or 600 feet, I should have taken it to be the former bed of a river ; but, as it was, it more resembled the ground left by the retiring 1 of the sea. In many places saline substances were deposited, whose delicate crystals reflected the light in all direc- tions. This strip of ground, which is about five miles long-, is dangerous, because the hills and rocks serve as a favourable ambush for robbers. Our drivers constantly urged the poor animals on. They were obliged to travel here over hills and rocks quicker than across the most con- venient plains. ' We passed through in safety before darkness came on, and then proceeded more leisurely on our journey. 21st June. Towards 1 in the morning we came up with the town Karatappa, of which, however, we saw only the walls. A mile beyond this we halted in some stubble-fields. The extensive deserts and plains end here, and we entered upon a more cultivated and hilly country. On the 22nd of June we halted in the neighbourhood of the town Kiiferi. Nothing favourable can be said of any of the Turkish towns, as they so much resemble each other in wretchedness. that it is a pleasure not to be compelled to enter them. The streets are dirty, the houses built of mud or unburnt bricks, the places of worship unimportant ; misera- ble stalls and coarse goods constitute the bazaars ; and the people, dirty and disgusting, are of a rather brown complexion. The women in- crease their natural ugliness by dyeing their hair and nails reddish- brown with henna, and by tattooing their hands and arms. Even at twenty-five years old they appear quite faded. On the 23rd of June we halted not far from the town of Dus, and took up our resting-place for the day. In this place I was struck by the low entrances of the houses ; they were scarcely three feet high, so that the people were obliged to crawl rather than walk into them. On the 25th of June we came to Daug, where I saw a monument which resembled that of Queen Zobeide in Baghdad. I could not learn what great or holy man was buried under ir. 25th June. At 4 this morning we came to the place where our caravan guide lived, a village about a mile from Kerku. His house was situated, with several others, in a large dirty courtyard, which Wiis .surrounded by a wall with only one entrance. This courtyard resembled a regular encampment: all the inhabitants slept there; and, besides these, there was no want of mules, horses, and asses. Our animals immediately went to their stalls, and trod so nrnr to the sleepers that I was quite anxious for their safety; but the ani- mals are cautious, and the people know that, and remain perfectly quiet. My Arab had been absent three weeks, and now returned only for AN ARAB VILLAGE. 263 a very short time ; and yet none of his family came out to greet him except an old woman. Even with her, whom I supposed to be his mother, he exchanged no kind of welcome. She merely hobbled about here and there, but gave no help, and might as well have remained where she was lying as the others. The houses of the Arabs consist of a single, lofty, spacious apart- ment, separated into three parts by two partition walls, which do not extend quite across to the front 'wall. Each of these compartments is about thirty feet in length by nine in breadth, and serves as a dwelling for a' family. The liglit fell through the common doorway and two holes which were made in the upper part of the front wall. A place was set apart for me in one of these compartments, where I could pass the day. My attention "was first directed to the nature of the relationships between the several members of the family. At first this was very difficult, as it was only towards the very young children that any kind of attachment or love was shown. They appeared to be a common property. At last, however, I succeeded in ascertaining that three related families lived in the house the patriarch, a married son, and a married daughter. The patriarch was a handsome, powerful old man, sixty years of jig' 1 ; and the father of my T ZOFF. 326 Oriental, Chinese, Persian, and European styles ; and, above all, a garden saloon, which is quite unique, for it not only contains the linest and rarest flowers but even the tallest trees. Palms, with their rich leafy crowns, extend to a great height, climbing- plants cover the walls, and on all sides are flowers and blossoms. The most delightful odour diffused itself through the air; cushioned divans stood half-buried under the floating leaves ; in fact, everything' combined to produce the most magical impression upon the senses. The owner of this fairy palace was unfortunately absent at a fete on a neighbouring estate. I had letters to him, and should have been glad to have made his acquaintance, as I had heard him spoken of here, both by rich and poor, as a most noble, just, and generous man. I was, indeed, persuaded to wait his return, but I could not accept this offer, as I should have had to wait eight days for the arrival of the next steamer, and my time was already very limited. In the neighbourhood of the castle is a Tartar village, of which there are many in the Crimea. The houses are remarkable for their flat earth roofs, which are more used by the inhabitants than the interior of the huts ; as the climate is mild and tine they pass the whole day at their work on the roofs, and at night sleep there. The dress of the men differs somewhat from that of the Russian peasants; the women dress in the Oriental fashion, and have their faces un- covered. I never saw such admirably-planted and clean vineyards as here. The grapes are very sweet and of a good flavour ; the wine light and good, and perfectly suited for making champagne, which indeed is sometimes done. I was told that more than a hundred kinds of grapes are grown in the gardens of Prince Woronzoff. W hen I returned to Jalta I was obliged to wait more than two hours, as the gentlemen with whom I was to go on board had not yet finished their carouse. At last, when they broke up, one of them, an officer of the steamer, was so much intoxicated that he could not walk. Two of his companions and the landlord dragged him to the shore. The jolly-boat of the steamer was indeed there, but the sailors refused to take us, as the jolly-boat was ordered for the captain. We were obliged to hire a boat, for which each had to pay twenty kopecs (8d.). The gentlemen knew that I did not spoak Russian, but they did not think I partially understood the language. I, however, overheard one of them say to the other, " I have no change with, me, let us leave the woman to pay." Upon this the other turned round to me, and said in French, " The share that you have to pay is twenty silver kopecs." These were gentlemen who made pretensions to honesty and honour. 29th September. To-day we stopped at the strong and beautiful fortress Sewastopol. The works are partly situated at the entrance of the harbour, and partly in the harbour itself ; they are executed in massive stone, and possess a number of towers and outworks which defend the entrance to the harbour. The harbour itself is almost entirely surrounded by hills, and is one of the safest and most excellent in the world. It can hold the largest fleets, and is go deep that the most gigantic men-of-war can lie at anchor close to tL v 2 326 A PFOMAN^S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. quays. Sluices, docks, and quays have been constructed in unlimited splendour and mngnificence. The whole of the works were not quite finished, and there was an unparalleled activity apparent. Thou- sands of men were busy on all sides. Among the workmen I was shown many of the captured Polish nobles who had been sent here as a punishment for their attempt, in 1831, to shake off the Russian yoke. The works of the fortress and the barracks are so large that they will hold about 30,000 men. The town itself is modern, and stands upon a range of barren hills. The most attractive among the buildings is the Greek church, as it stands quite alone on a hill, and is built in the style of a Grecian temple. The library is situated on the highest ground. There is also an open-columned hall near the church, with stone steps leading to the sea- shore, which serves as the most convenient passage to the town for those who land here. A Gothic monument to the memory of Captain Cozar, who distinguished himself greatly at the battle of Navarino, and was killed there, does not less excite the curiosity of the traveller. Like the church, it stands alone upon a hill. The streets here, as in all the new Russian towns, are broad and clean. 301h September. Early in the morning we reached Odessa. The town looks very well from the sea. It stands high; and conse- quently many of the large and truly fine buildings can be seen at one glance. Among these are the palace of Prince Woronzoff, the Exchange, the government offices, several large barracks, the quaran- tine buildings, and many fine private houses. Although the sur- rounding country is flat and barren, the number of gardens and avenues in the town give it a pleasant appearance. In the harbour was a perfect forest of masts. By far the greater number of ships do not, lie here, but in the quarantine harbour. Most of the ships come from the Turkish shore, and are obliged to pass through a quarantine of fourteen days, whether they have illness on board or not. Odessa, the chief town of the government of Cherson, is, from its situation on the Black Sea, and at the mouth of the Dniester and Dnieper, one of the most important places of commerce in South Russia. It contains 80,000 inhabitants, was founded in 1794, and declared a free port in 1817. A fine citadel entirely commands the harbour. The Duke of Richelieu contributed most to the advancement of Odessa; for, after having made several campaigns against his native country (France) in an emigrant corps, he went to Russia; and in u803 was made governor-general of Cherson. He filled this post Intil 1814, during which time he brought the town to its present position. When he was appointed it contained scarcely 5,000 inha- bitants. One of the finest streets bears the name of the duke, and several squares are also named in honour of him. I remained only two days in Odessa. On the third I started by the steamer for Constantinople. I went through the town and .suburbs in c very direction. The finest part lies towards the son, ODESSA. 32? especially the boulevard, which is furnished with fine avenues of trees, and offers a delightful promenade ; a life-size statue of the Duke of Richelieu forms a fine ornament to it. Broad flights of stone steps lead from here down to the sea-shore ; and in the background are rows of handsome palaces and houses. The most remarkable among them are the Government House, the Hotel St. Petersburg!!, and the Palace of Prince WoronzofF, built in the Italian style, with a tasteful garden adjoining 1 . At the opposite end of the boulevard is the Exchange, also built in the Italian style, and surrounded by a garden. Not far from this is the Academy of Arts, a rather medi- ocre one-story building. The Theatre, with a fine portico, promises much outside, but is nothing great within. I^ext to the theatre is the Palais Royal, which consists of a pretty garden, round which are ringed large handsome shops, filled with costly goods. Many articles are also hung out, but the arrangement is not near s .> tasteful as is the case in Vienna or Hamburgh. Among the churches the Russian cathedral is the most striking. It has a lofty arched nave and a fine dome. The nave rests upon strong columns covered with brilliant white plaster, which looks like marble. The decorations of the churches with pictures, lamp>, and lustres, &c., is rich but not artistic. This was the first church in which I found stoves, and really it was quite necessary that these should be used : the difference of temperature between this place and Jalta was very considerable for the short distance. A second Russian church stands in the new bazaar ; it has a large dome surrounded by four smaller ones, and has a very fine appear- ance from the exterior ; inside it is small and plain. The Catholic church, not yet quite finished, vies in point of archi- tecture with the Russian cathedral. The streets are all broad, handsome, and regular. It is almost impossible to lose your way in this town. In every street there are fine large houses, and this is the case even in the most remote parts as well. In the interior of the town lies the so-called " Crown Garden," which is not, indeed, very large or handsome, but still affords some amusement, as great numbers of people assemble here on Sundays and festivals, and a very good band of music plays here in summer under a tent ; in winter the performances take place in a plain room. The botanic garden, three wersts from the town, has few exotic plants, and is much neglected. The autumn changes, which I again saw here for the first time for some years, made a truly sad impres- sion upon me. I could almost have'envied the people who live in hot climates, although the heat is very troublesome. The German language is understood by almost all but the lowest orders in Odessa. On leaving the Russian dominions I had as much trouble with the passport regulations as on entering. The passport which was obtained on entering must be changed for another, for which two silver roubles are paid. Besides this the traveller's name has to be three times printed in the newspaper, so that, if he has debts, his 328 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. creditors may know of his departure. With these delays it takes at least eight days, frequently, however, two or three weeks, to sret away; it is not, however, necessary to wait for these forms, if the traveller provides security. The Austrian Consul, Herr Gutenthal, answered for me, and I was thus able to bid adieu to Russia on the 2nd of October. That I did this with a light heart it is not necessary for me to assure my readers. CHAPTER XX1Y. CONSTANTINOPLE AND ATHENS. CONSTANTINOPLE CHANGES Two FIKES VOYAGE TO GREECE QUARANTIKR AT A DAY IN ATHENS CALAMACHI TUB ISTHMUS PATKAS CORFU. LITTLE can be said of the passage from Odessa to Constantinople; we continued out at sea and did not land anywhere. The distance is 120 miles. The ship belonged to the Russian Government, it was named Odessa, was of 260-horse power, and was handsome, clean, and neat. In order that my parting with my dear friends, the Russians, might not be too much regretted, one of them was so good at the end of the passage as to behave in a manner that was far from polite. During the last night, which was very mild and warm, I went out of the close cabin on to the deck, and placed myself not far from the compass-box, where I soon began to sleep, wrapt in my mantle. One of the sailors came, and, giving me a kick with his foot, told me to leave the place. I thanked him quietly for the delicate way in which he expressed himself, and, requesting him to leave me at peace, continued to sleep. Among the passengers were six English sailors, who had taken a new ship to Odessa, and were returning home. I spoke with them several times, and had soon quite won them. As they perceived that I was without any companion, they asked me if I spoke enough Turkish to be able to get what I wanted from the ship's people and porters. On my answering that I did, they offered to manage every- thing for me if! would go on shore with them. I willingly accepted their offer. As we approached land a customs officer came on board to ex- amine our luggage. In order to avoid delay I gave him some money. When we landed I wanted to pay, but the English sailors would not allow it ; they said I had paid i'or the customs officer, and it was therefore their time to pay for the boat. I saw that I should only have affronted them if I had pressed them further to receive the money. They settled with the porter for me, and we parted good friends. How different was the behaviour of these English sailors from that of the three well-bred Russian gentlemen at Jalta 1 The passage into the Bosphorus, as well as the objects of interest in Constantinople, I have already described in my journey to the Holy Land. I went immediately to my good friend Mrs. Balbiani ; but, to my regret, found that she was not in Constantinople ; she had given up her hotel. I was recommended to the hotel f *Aux Quatre Nations," kept by Madrame Prust. She was a talkative 330 A WOMAN'S JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD. Frenchwoman, who was always singing" the praises of her house- keeping, servants, cookery, &c., in which, however, none of the travellers agreed with her. She charged forty piastres (85.), and put down a good round sum in the bill for servants' fees and such Since my last stay here a handsome new wooden bridge had been erected over the Golden Horn, and the women did not seem to be so thickly veiled as on my first visit to Constantinople. Many of them wore such delicately-woven veils that their faces could almost be seen through them ; others had only the forehead and chin covered, and left their eyes, nose, and cheeks exposed. The suburb of Pera looked very desolate. There had been a number of fires, which were increased by two during my stay ; they were called "small," as by the first only a hundred and thirty shops, houses, and cottages, and by the second only thirty, were burned to the ground. They are accustomed to reckon the number destroyed by thousands. The first fire broke out in the evening as we were seated at table. One of the guests offered to accompany me to see it, as he thought I should be interested by the sight if I had not seen such a one before. The scene of the fire was rather distant from our house, but we had scarcely gone a hundred steps when we found ourselves in a great crowd of people, who all carried p;i per lanterns,* by which the streets were lighted. Every one was shouting and rushing wildly about; the inhabitants of the houses threw open their windows and inquired of the passers by the extent of the danger, and gazed with anxiety and trembling at the reflection of the flames in the sky. Every now and then sounded the shrill cry of " Guarda ! guarda /" (take care) of the people, who carried small fire en^inesf and buckets of water on their shoulders, and knocked everything over that was in their way. Mounted and foot soldiers and watchmen rushed about, and paschas rode down with their attendants to urge the people on in extinguish- ing the fire, and to render them assistance. Unfortunately almost all these labours are fruitless. The fire takes such hold of the wooden buildings painted with oil colours, and spreads with such incredible rapidity, that it is stopped only by open spaces or gardens. One fire often destroys several thousand houses. The unfortunate inhabi- tants have scarcely time to save themselves ; those who live some dis- tance off hastily pack their effects together and hold themselves prepared for flight at any moment. It may easily be supposed that thieves are not rare on such occasions, and it too often happens that the few things the poor people have saved are torn away from them in the bustle and confusion. The second fire broke out in the following night. Every one had re- tired to sleep, but the fire-watch rushed through the street, knocking with his iron-mounted staff at the doors of the houses and waking the Constantinople is not lighted whoever goes out without a lantern is considered sus- picious, and taken to the next watchhouse. t The streets of Constantinople are narrow, full of holes, and uneven, so that carriages cannot he taken everywhere, and people are obliged to manage with small fire-engines carried by four men. QUARANTINE AT ^EGINA. 331 people. I sprang terrified out of bed, ran to the window, and saw in the direction of the fire a faint red light in the sky. In a few hours the noise and redness ceased. They have at fast begun to build stone houses, not only in Pera, but also in Constantinople. I left Constantinople on the evening" of the 7th of October, by the French steamer Scamander, 160-horse power. The passage from Constantinople to Smyrna, and through the Greek Archipelago, is described in my journey to the Holy Land, and I therefore pass on at once to Greece. I had been told in Constantinople that the quarantine was held in the Piraeus (six English miles from Athens), and lasted only four days, as the state of health in Turkey was perfectly satisfactory. Instead of this, I learned on the steamer that it was held at the island of ^Egina (sixteen English miles from the Piraeus), and lasted twelve days, not on account of the plague but of the cholera. For the plague it lasts twenty days. On the 10th of October we caught sight of the Grecian mainland. Sailing near the coast, we saw on the lofty prominence of a rock twelve large columns, the remains of the Temple of Minerva. Shortly afterwards we came near the hill on which the beautiful Acropolis stands. I gazed for a long time on all that was to be seen ; the statues of the Grecian heroes, the history of the country, came back to my mind ; and I glowed with desire to set my foot on the land which, from my earliest childhood, had appeared to me, after Rome and Jerusalem, as the most interesting in the earth. How anxiously I sought for the new town of Athens it stands upon the same spot as the old and famous one. Unfortunately, I did not see it, as it was hidden from us by a hill. We turned into the Piraeus, on which a new town has also been built, b.ut only stopped to deliver up our passports, and then sailed to ^Egina. It was already night when we arrived ; a boat was quickly put out, and we were conveyed to the quay near the quarantine station. Neither the porters nor servants of this establishment were there to help us, and we were obliged to carry our own baggage to the building, where we were shown into empty rooms. We could not even get a light. I had fortunately a wax taper with me, which 1 cut into several pieces and gave to my fellow-passengers. On the following morning I inquired about the regulations of the quarantine they were very bad and very dear. A small room, quite empty, cost three drachmas (2s. 3d.) a day; board, five drachmas (3.9. 9d.) ; very small separate portions, sixty or seventy leptas (6d. or 7d.) ; the attendance, that if, the superintendence of the guardian, two drachmas a day; the supply of water, fifteen leptas daily ; the physician, a drachma ; and another drachma on leaving, for which he inspects the whole party, and examines the state of their health. Several other things were to be had at a similar price, and every article of furniture has to be hired. I cannot understand how it is that the Government pays so little attention to institutions which are established for sanitary purposes, and which the poor cannot avoid. They must suffer more privation here than at home ; they cannot have any hot meals, for the landlord, 332 A WOMAN'S JOUUNEY KOUHD THE WORLD. who is not restricted in his prices, charges five or six times the value. Several artisans who had come by the vessel were put into the same room with a servant-girl. These people had no hot food the twelve days ; they lived entirely upon bread, cheese, and dried figs. The girl, after a few days, begged me to let her come into my room, as the people had riot behaved properly to her. In what a position the poor girl would have been placed if there had not happened to be a woman among- the pa>senj;ers, or if I had refused to receive her ! Are such arrangements worthy of a public institution ? Why are there not a few rooms fitted up at the expense of Government for the poor? Why cannot they have a plain hot meal once in the day for a moderate price P The poor surely suffer enough by not being able to earn anything for so long a time, without being" deprived of their hard earnings in such a shameful manner ! On the second day the courtyard was opened, and we were per- mited to walk about in an enclosed space a hundred and fifty paces wide, on the sea-shore. The view was very beautiful : the whole of the Cyclades lay before us small, mountainous islands, mostly un- inhabited and covered over with woods. Probably they were formerly a part of the mainland, and were separated by some violent con- vulsion of nature. On the fourth day our rs large and handsome ; it is intersected by several avenues, and one side faces the sea. The palace of the English governor stands here ; a fine building in the Grecian-Italian style. The famous and much-visited church of St. Spiridion is but small ; it contains many oil-paintings some are good specimens of the old Italian school. In a small dark chapel at the furthest end of the church lies, in a silver sarcophagus, the body of St. Spiridion, who is held in great veneration by the lonians. The chapel is always full of devotees, who tenderly kiss the sarcophagus. On the 29th of October we saw the low mountain-country of Dalmatia, and on the 30th I entered Trieste, whence I hastened on to Vienna the day following. I was obliged to pass several days in the greatest anxiety before the town, as it had been taken by storm on the last day of October, and was not opened until the 4th of November. It was not until I had seen that all my relations were safe that I was able to return thanks with a grateful heart to the good Providence which, in all my dangers and troubles, had so remarkably protected and preserved me in health and strength. With equal gratitude I remembered those people who had treated me with such kindness, had so disinterestedly received me, and through whose help I had been enabled to overcome the frequent great hard- ships and difficulties I encountered. From my readers I hope for a charitable judgment upon my book, which in simple language describes what I have experienced, seen, and felt, and makes no higher pretension than that of being- sincere and trustworthy. tirr, AND co., n.vrHorw v\nn. HI.M.KHUMU>. 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