BUSSI AN TEAYELLERS IN MONGOLIA AND CHINA. VOL. II.RUSSIAN TRAVELLERS IN MONGOLIA AND CHINA. BY P. PIASSETSKY. TRANSLATED BY J. GORDON-CUMMING. IN TWO VOLUMES. YOL. II. London : CHAPMAN & HALL, Limited,LONDON: PRINTED BY J. S. VIRTUE AND 00., LIMITED, CITY ROAD.OF VOL. II. ^ IS, ?57 f CONTENTS CHAPTER I. PAGE The Bapids.—"Wreck.—Divers.—Banks of the Upper Han.—A Chinese Christian.—Town of Han-Tchong-Fou.—Farewell to the Boats.— Visit to the Authorities.—Catholic Mission.—Sketch in a Temple during Service.—The Chinaman Tan.—.School.—Some words on public instruction in China.—The owner of our Boat and his family. —Mrs. “ General.”—My Patients.—Chinese Doctors.—Theatre.— Departure...........................................1 CHAPTEB II. Plain of Han-Tchong-Fou.—Town of Mian-Sian.—Mountains.— Bums of Lo-Yan-Sian.—Village of Pei-Fei-Sian.—Surgical Operation on the High Boad.—Heads of Criminals.—Inn.—Town of Tzing-Tchoou.—Visit to the Authorities.—Brutality of a Police 61 Agent.............................................. CHAPTEB III. Departure from Tzing-Tchoou.—We visit a Village in the Mountains.— Dwellings in Caves.—Town of Fou-Tzieng-Sien.—Town of Nine-Youan-Sian.—We are shown off at so much a head.—Buins of Houn-Tcheng-Fou.—Camps and Garrisons.—“ The Copper Button.” —Arrival at Lan-Tcheou —Supply of Bread.............90 CHAPTEB IY. First Visit to Tzo-Tzoun-Tan.—Yellow Biver and its Bridge.—Water-elevator.—Tzo and the Children.—Official Dinner at Tzo’s house. —Punishment of a Soldier.—Suppers with the Governor-General.— Beview.—Dead body in the street.—Visit to the Prisons.—An ex-Governor in Chains.—Instruments of torture.—Contract for bread. —Failure of my request.—Portrait of Tzo.—His Presents.—Last Visits and Farewell Dinner.—Departure...............117vi CONTENTS. PAGK CHAPTEE Y. Along the Great Wall.—Its Present Condition.—The Ruins.—A few words on Rhubarb.—Our new Travelling Companions.—“ Transparent.”—Town of Lian-Tcheou-Fou.—Town of Youn-Tchen-Sian.—A Fortified House.—Statue of the god Fou.—Town of Han-Tcheou and its edifices.—Book-hawkers.—Watch and Outposts.— Town of Sou-Tcheou.—Dismissal of Tjou, and his distress thereat.— Fortress of Tzia-Youi-Gouan.—End of the Great Wall . . 176 CHAPTEE YI. Mongolia.—The Desert* Whirlwinds, and Mirage.—Town of An-Si-Tcheou.—Great Desert of Gobi.—Wells.—Oasis.—Forced march.— Discontent of the Chinese.—Oasis of Khami and its three Towns.— Ruins.—General Tchan.—Mohammedans.-—Palace of the Princes of Khami.—Temples and Minarets.—The Mellah Yousoup-Ahoun.— Mohammedan Cemetery.—Portrait of General Tchan.—A memorable Letter..........................................220 CHAPTEE YII. Departure from Khami.—Tian-Schan Hills.—Town of Barkoul.—The Mandarin Yan and his Servant.—An ancient religious Monument. —The Lan-Tcheou Mandarins leave us.—Imaginary Brigands.— False Alarm.—Town of Hou-Tcheng.—Preparations for crossing the Desert.—Search for a Guide.—Departure.—We at once lose our way................................................252 CHAPTEE VIII. Wanderings in the Desert.—The Volcano of Bohdo-Oula.—We completely lose our way.—The Chief blames the Guides.—Return to the Kharmali Well.—We meet a Caravan.—Our new Guides.— Snow and Cold.—Kalmuck Winter Quarters.—Meeting with the Cossack Pawlow.—Arrival at Zaissan ...... 284A JOURNEY IN CHINA. CHAPTER I. The Rapids—Wreck—Divers—Banks of the Upper Han—A Chinese Christian —Town of Han-Tchong-Fou—Farewell to our Boat—Visit to the Authorities—Catholic Mission—Sketch in a Temple during Service— The Chinaman Tan—School—Some Words on Public Instruction in China—Our Boat-owner and Family—Mrs. “ General My Patients— Chinese Doctors—Theatre—Departure. We have been two months and a half getting up the river, which gradually rises to a higher level above the sea. At this season, the water being low, the navigation is really less dangerous, as the rocks can be more easily seen than when the water is at its height. March 2§th. After, getting up several rapids we stopped early, as Yan told us that there was no other suitable halting-place for sixty li. The people on the banks were very obliging in coming to offer us bread, fowls, eggs, sweetmeats, rice, sugar, and the sesame-seed. Great animation prevailed among our people ; the boats; and cables were all overhauled, and preparations set on foot for the passage of the Loun-Tan rapids, the most dangerous, we have yet come upon. VOL. II. BA JOURNEY IN CHINA. March 30th. Since early dawn every one was stirring. Our boat was to be tbe first to start. The men from the second boat, and others who came temporarily to our aid, had separated into two detachments; some followed the right bank, and others the left. Each of these detachments had its own rope fixed to the base of the mast, and another was fastened to the top, ready to be used in case of need. Sin-Yan was in the bows, with a boathook in one hand and giving the signal for departure with the other, for the noise of the rapids made it impossible to hear a single word, while some men armed with boathooks stood on deck ready for action. At length Yan, having given a last look round, gave the signal to start. We slowly advanced towards the rapids. Waves of foam now surrounded us, beating against the quivering sides of the boat, and leaping and dancing around it, as if seeking to break it in pieces, and punish it for its audacity in venturing into their midst. To my great alarm the boat seemed at one moment to come to a standstill, and I began to regret that we had not landed all our precious possessions. But it was now too late ; if the ropes were to break all our possessions would be lost—notes, maps, botanical collections, stuffed birds, drawings, minerals, samples of silk—everything would go to the bottom. The time seemed to pass very slowly. . . .Yan remained quiet and grave, assuring us that he had every confidence in his boat, and that the water could not reach its deck; he had previously examined the ropes, and could answer for their strength. The noise was so tremendous that I could not hear a wordTHE RAPIDS. 3 that Matoussowsky shrieked into my ear. The scene was deficient neither in grandeur or interest. In my imagination Yan appeared to court all the most dangerous places ; but no one would have dared to advise, or even to make a remark ; everyone had the fullest confidence in him. In the excitement of the moment I forgot to take the time when we entered the rapids, hut I fancy we were about a quarter of an hour getting up them. At last we left the formidable Loun-Tan behind us, and we now got into a comparatively calm reach of the river. After having gone a very little way farther, we made the boat fast behind a promontory on the left bank, and every one set out to help the chief and his boat. The Cossack alone remained to guard our things. “ The ma-yan-tchouan will not get through/’ said Yan, as we went along, and filled us with consternation with the utterance of this death-warrant. At this moment a cargo-boat got over the rapids, and Sosnowsky’s followed slowly with at least twenty men at the ropes. According to his usual practice, Sosnowsky had landed with Siu'i; the others had remained on board. Possessed by a great fear, our eyes followed the boat, which was already in the midst of the rapids. The waves broke against her broad, flat stern, and rocked her more and more violently from side to side, till one stronger than the rest caught and smashed her in on the starboard. The water rushed in. Everyone on board flew to the other side, which rose in proportion as the starboard sank; the ropes broke one after the other, as the resistance of the boat became greater.4 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. One would have thought that the boat would be taken off as swiftly as an arrow by the current. But being turned on its side, it went down slowly, broadside to the stream, At one moment the stern was not far from the bank, so the interpreter, the photographer, and the Cossack Pawlow seized the opportunity and jumped on shore. I can still see the owner of the boat, with his wife locked in his arms, preparing to meet their death. The Cossack Stepanow, who did not seem to believe in the danger, and the Chinaman at the helm, still stuck to the vessel. I ran towards them with Matoussowsky, without taking in how utterly useless it was ; we all had lost our presence of mind, and ran about doing no good. . . . The boat was already in bits; it heeled over more and more, until it turned completely over. Fortunately the four people had time to get on the part above the surface. The deck was shivered into fragments on the stones, and all the luggage fell into the water. Trunks and portmanteaux were carried down the stream. After the first moment of stupefaction, we began to act; the Cossack Pawlow undressed and swam after the rope, vainly hoping to stop the boat. From the opposite bank a Chinese made a similar attempt, and this time more successfully, as, after several attempts, he succeeded in getting hold of the rope and landing it. Others then assisted him. to hold on to it; but it broke in several places, owing to the force of the current against the boat. The Cossack Stepanow, who had stuck to the wreck, got hold of the end of the second rope, seized it between his teeth, swam towards a place where the stream was not soWRECK. 5 fetrong, and fastened it securely to a stone. The course of the boat was thus arrested, and the three people miraculously saved. “ So it is all over,” observed Matoussowsky. “ Everything is lost, and our expedition ended. It only remains for us to return discreditably homewards; meanwhile it is essential i that we should find out what we have lost and what we have still left to us.” The boat had been rescued from the opposite bank, so we had to return to our own and cross the river. I was struck by the length of the rapid, which I now found to be about three quarters of a mile long. Jumping from one rock to another, or wading through the water, we at length reached the wreck on the shore. Two cocks tied together had miraculously escaped, and various articles lay scattered about, of course saturated with the wetting they had had. The unfortunate owner of the boat looked on the scene of the disaster with a dark and angry scowl, and his poor wife was weeping bitterly. Sosnowsky came back to us and said, with perfect composure, “ Thank heaven, the papers are saved ! ” “ What papers ? ” asked Matoussowsky, with surprise. “ The commercial instructions and the general notes upon China.” Here the conversation ceased. This was scarcely the moment to talk about “ notes on China.” We were sad and ashamed, but Sosnowsky was quite undisturbed by this great, misfortune. He next began6 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. giving orders in Russian to the Chinese, who understood nothing he said. The Cossack Stepanow was in the river, busy taking out the few boxes that still remained in the wreck. The chief gave orders, shouting first for Siu'i, who did not understand, and then for the Cossack Stepanow, who was most intelligent and energetic. “ Why do you play the fool,” screamed SosnowTsky, “ why can’t you turn the boat over and get the things out ? ” It was not so easy to turn a boat over “capable of holding fifteen people with all their baggage.” He next began shouting after the fat cook, who understood still less, .and then turning to us, reproached us for not having sent him our Cossack Smokotnine. “ He is in charge of the boat, and we came ourselves to your assistance.” ; “ And how can you assist me ? Smokotnine could at least interpret for me; I can give no orders.” I went back to the boat, and sent Smokotnine to him. Matoussowsky remained to find out the extent of our loss, and to see what he could save. I set to work to stuff the birds I had got in the morning, happily an entirely mechanical operation, for, in the face of the disaster that had overtaken us, I was by no means disposed to work. My thoughts wandered towards the unknown future. Here was the boatman and his family ruined for ever ; his boat being at once his home and his sole me ins of subsistence. Our money, arms, and ammunition were all under water. What was to become of us ? We sent our poor shipwrecked companions some meat and rice, tea, sugar, and wax candles,DIVERS. 7 as being of the first necessity. Communication between our boat and the scene of the wreck was somewhat difficult; and when we wanted to go back over the rapids with our boat, the Chinese refused to go. Rather late in the evening our Cossack returned with the news that Yan had found some divers in the neighbouring villages. Despite all obstacles, they succeeded in fishing up various articles ; this, however, was only to show their powers. Our men had warned us that if they were not promised a handsome reward, they were capable of finding the silver and dividing it amongst themselves without our being any the wiser. We were therefore recommended to give them a hundred roubles for each case, and after a long discussion consented to this. The divers at once commenced operations at the place where the ship had gone to pieces. They sounded the bottom with long boathooks, and when they imagined they had found anything, one of them dived for it. Once at the bottom, if the article was heavy, he fastened it to the boathook, and gave a signal by means of a rope, to draw up the boathook and whatever they had attached to it; the lighter objects they took up themselves to the surface. They had already rescued a chest containing 300 lbs. of silver, and a gun and revolver quite unharmed by the water, all the cartridge-boxes, the line, fourteen bundles of sapeques, some sacks of rice, &c. The Cossack showed boundless admiration for the divers, and expressed himself in a very original manner on the subject. “ Well, your honour, I have never met people with such8 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. good wind, the rogues ! One of them plunges and disappears ; we wait and wait, mentally remarking, ‘ It's all over with you, my little Chinese ; you will never smoke any more opium/ But no ! here he is again, hardly able to recover his breath ; a very little more and he would have given his soul back to God. To-morrow they will go on again and continue the search ; and it is between the rocks that they dive, just where the water is in the wildest commotion. Great heaven, what a misfortune ! and after so many warnings, to which no attention was paid,” sighed the Cossack. “ How these little Chinese will laugh at us.” March 31$£. The first thing in the inorning I went to the scene of the disaster. Everything they had been able to save was -piled up on the shore. Some time would be required to dry the things, and prevent their further destruction. The fifteen cases we got at Tiumen for photographic apparatus, the samples of various sorts of merchandise sent by the Kiachta merchants : stuffs, furs, skins, and clothes, were in a deplorable condition. Amidst this picturesque disorder were the chests of tea given us by our countrymen at Han-Keou, piles of books, silken stuffs, presents from the mandarins, linen clothes of all sorts, musical-boxes, preserves, presents intended for the mandarins, magic-lanterns, articles in papier-mache, chromo-lithographs, &c. Farther on we found scientific instruments, one of the chests of silver (the other was found later on), cartridges, tents which were now being used for shelter—in a word, a regular bazaar— but in what a state ! Amongst the things missing were ingots of silver worthBANKS OF THE UPPER HAN. 9 200 roubles, forty pounds’ weight of powder, and the passport given us by the Chinese Government. Everybody was busy unpacking the things and spreading them out to dry; and after contemplating this sad speOtacle I retraced my steps, full of regret for the waste of time all this necessitated. April 1st. The rain lasted all day, which necessarily retarded our start. Meanwhile our provisions were getting exhausted, and we had to send a great distance to procure more. After dinner I wandered about with vmy gun, and this walk thoroughly taught me all the difficulties with which the men who towed us had to contend ; on both banks of the river there were rocks impossible to climb. The people belonging to those parts only come there in the daytime, and then bring lanterns with them. If night overtakes them, and they are unprovided with lights, they lie down and stay where they are. I came to a village where my arrival gave evident pleasure to the inhabitants, especially to the women, who were much amused by the sight of the “ foreign man.” It is very likely that I looked ridiculous in my European dress; but in the eyes of the Chinese, a European is always ridiculous, whether in uniform or out of it. From the village I went down a path leading to the river, and noticed several rapids, following each other at very short distances, and enormous stones standing out of the water. I was followed by three Chinese, who helped, me most obligingly over various obstacles, without being asked to do so, and seemed much taken up with my gun. I shot a10 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. halcyon (tzei-tzou). The Chinese usually snare these birds, pluck some of their feathers, and then, after levying this contribution, restore them to liberty. These feathers are worth their weight in gold, which to be sure is not great, as they are very light. The day was far advanced, and the setting sun lit up the mountains on the opposite bank. I had wandered about three miles from the boat, and my obliging companions recommended me to go back without loss of time. Their advice was sound, as the night had already closed in when I reached our headquarters. Our Cossack, who came back a little later, told us that the divers had that day received the 200 roubles (£82) promised for the salvage. They had fished up a gun, the powder, and the photographic apparatus, which was quite unharmed, thanks to the cases we got at Tiumen. April 2nd. Nothing worthy of note. April 3rd. The thermometer had stood at 26° Reaumur in the shade during the past two days, and to protect themselves from the sun’s rays the Chinese had donned immense straw hats with wide brims. They had amused themselves playing with narrow cards, a little like dominoes, crouching round a stone, which answered the purpose of a table. The owner’s three children ran about entirely naked on the sand, and played at towing the boat, which was represented by a small box attached to a string. April 4th. After this enforced delay of four days, a boat had now been hired, and everybody settled down in it. It was smaller than ours. They ought to have changed boats at Che-Tsouen-Chien, at which point the boatman hadBANKS OF THE UPPER HAN. 11 begged to b&left behind. We should have profited by the exchange, and the poor man would not have been reduced to such a plight. We only left 30 roubles (£4 16s. 3d.) for him and his family, although his boat had cost him 400 roubles (£64 3s. 4d.) April 5th. A clouded sky and a small penetrating rain. We came to another rapid, which was a great deal more difficult and more dangerous than that of Loun-Tan. I remember that a traveller named Father Lecomte says somewhere that he had done twelve thousand miles in ten months on every sea on the globe, but had never been in such danger as he had been during the ten days he had spent on the Chinese rivers. This is of course an exaggeration, but it gives some idea of the dangers one encounters. It took fifty men to get our boat past the rapids, which are here called Bie-Tan. Some dragged.at the ropes, others worked with boathooks; two men were at the helm, and the Commander-in-chief was on the roof of our cabin. The scene was somewhat singular ; the noise of the waters and the cries of the men made a / terrible concert. We felt that something awful and solemn was going on. We thus passed three rapids without misadventure, but we saw a cargo of tobacco wrecked. We halted before the temple of Van-E-Miao, where every boat-owner is obliged to deposit an offering of 300 sapeques, and receives a registered receipt; it was, therefore, a mere fiscal tax, although they endeavoured to give it a religious character. April 6th. The boatmen hastened to get over the rapids, fearing that the rain would cause the river to increase in12 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. volume. The stones were now entirely hidden, and the channel became more dangerous. At last we got over the final rapid, the mountains began to be farther off, the banks of the river lost their wild aspect, and we began to meet with pasture-lands, fields, villages, and dykes similar to those I have already described. The river became wilder, and was no longer dangerous, but the water was shallow. April 7th. As we advanced the scenery gradually altered ; the mountains disappeared on the horizon, and the river now watered plains and cultivated fields. The houses became more frequent, and domestic animals, such as horses and mules, grazed round them. The oxen reminded us of the Tyrolean breed. This change of scene gave us great enjoyment after the daily sight of arid rocks and mountains. We reached the town of Yan-Sien, situated at some distance from the river, and I at once made for it, accompanied by a very useless policeman, who did not in the least know how to keep the crowd in order. Sending him to the municipal administration to apply for two more, I entered a temple, followed by the crowd, and some of the children did not hesitate to make use of the heads and arms of their gods in order to obtain a better view of me. I then returned to the boat, where some invalids awaited me. April 8th. Orders from the chief to delay our departure, as he had not finished his correspondence, or the reports to send back to Han-Keou by a messenger who had joined us some days ago. April 9th. We left at four in the afternoon, after the messenger had received a report of our shipwreck. The HanBANKS OF THE UPPER HAN. had again become very wide, but shallow ; we could easily see its sandy bottom, and could wade through the water without its reaching to our knees. Opposite Yan-Sien is a big village, called Tian-Bao-La, hidden by the dykes. The traffic between the two is continuous. Large boats take passengers across, as well as palanquins, and even horses and mules. The corn was as ripe as ours in the month of July. Our boats advanced but slowly, as they often stuck in sandbanks. April 10th. Brick and tile-making is one of the chief industries in these parts, the clay being of good quality. The bricks are very easily made, but the process by which they make tiles is more complicated. They also fashion cornices and various ornaments for their buildings in carved wooden moulds. The clay, which in its primitive state is of the usual colour, assumes a grey or yellow colour after baking. We met a bamboo raft to-day, the owner of which lay sleeping, with his face hidden by an enormous straw hat, paying not the smallest heed to the progress, of his floating craft. Our Yan splashed it as we passed, but the Chinaman only raised his head slightly, and without a remark turned on his side and went to sleep again. On our left we next came upon the sandy mouth of a tributary of the Han, called the Sin-Schoiii-Ho, its chief peculiarity being that whilst its left bank was flat and sandy, the right was very steep, and covered with enormous blocks of granite. This did not, however, prevent theBANKS OF THE UPPER HAN. H cultivation of the slopes, as we could see wheat and poppy-fields, &c. The shallowness of the water now constituted the chief difficulty in the navigation of the Han. After the boatmen had in vain searched for a tolerably easy channel, the boat was simply dragged along through the sand. We were nearing the town of Tchen-Kou-Sian. The banks of the river became more animated; numbers of big flat boats stranded there were awaiting the moment when the \ waters should be high enough for them to set out. It was mid-day when we halted, and I at once started off to see the town, which is a quarter of a verst from the river (about 270 yards), and surrounded by pretty farms. A very ancient road, paved with granite and porphyry slabs, led up to it, and must have been splendid in olden days, but now was scored with deep ruts, worn into it by countless wheelbarrows. I found crowds of beggars at the entry of the town, who seemed at their last gasp; and these scrofulous diseased creatures pressed around me, smelling of musk, garlic, and opium. I quickened my steps, but seeing a beautifully carved granite triumphal arch, I could not resist the temptation to sketch it. I took two hours to do this—two hours spent in the company of these filthy, diseased creatures, who kept putting their fingers on my drawing the whole time, and sticking their broad-brimmed hats between me and the view. The moment I touched one of these with my pencil the rest of the bystanders recommended the immediate removal of the hat. No one had any wish to hinder me, but the assembly worried me almost beyondTOWING THE BOAT— WE MEET A BAMBOO RAFT.i6 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. endurance. Near one of the gates of the town was a theatre, and we could hear the sound of music and the voices of the actors, who having remarked the presence of a “ foreign monster/’ addressed some remarks to me that set the crowd off at once. The crush became so great that it was impossible to withstand it. I was carried outside the gate along with my companions, and was quite alarmed for the numbers of children, who might easily have been suffocated in such a mob. Two of the to wing-men were to leave us here, and came to take farewell. We wondered where they would go in this strange town, but they told us that there were hotels in which, by paying 70 sapeques a day, they got food and lodging, and that they would easily obtain work. April 11th. The shallow water made the navigation very difficult. The owner, soldiers, our servant Tjchou, and the Cossacks, all exerted their utmost strength to get the boat to advance a yard, after which they needed rest; then a fresh effort brought a slight advance, and so forth; it was, in short, navigation on land. A Chinaman who was walking along the river,'having seen us on the boat, bowed in the most polite manner and took off his hat, which is a thing the Chinese never do. We responded to his greeting, upon which the unknown individual got on the shoulders of one of our men, had himself carried on board, and asked in Chinese first whether we were French, then whether we were English, and finally discovered that we were Russians, the latter being what he least expected. It was impossible for the conversation to proceed during aA CHINESE CHRISTIAN. 17 temporary absence of our Cossack. The Chinaman, however, was quite undeterred by this, and began chattering and telling us that we had been expected for ever so long at Han-Tchong-Fou ; that our quarters were ready, and that the money sent from Pekin for us had already arrived. Seeing that we could not understand much of what he said, he next pointed to a cross round his neck, which showed that he was a Christian, and then brought out some books he carried in a satchel. The Cossack arrived soon after, and we then found out that our new friend was a doctor, and had embraced Christianity twelve years ago. He had since taken up the study of medicine, and was on his way to a patient. Matoussowsky asked him a good many questions as to the route we were to take across Ivhami, and elicited a very unfavourable account of its security. I should have liked a talk with him about our profession, but the Cossack gave me to understand that it was impossible to translate the questions I wished to ask him into Chinese. I was able to ascertain, however, that the itch was treated in China by very numerous but not very efficacious internal remedies. He left us in the expectation of meeting again, as we advanced like tortoises. He lived in Han-Tchong-Fou, and was soon to return. April 12th. Yery hot. For two days a thick mist had obscured the sun’s rays, and turned it into a ball of tire. Our advance was as arduous as yesterday, the sand sometimes having to be hollowed out to get the boat to move. I have seldom seen horses work like our men did, but they VOL. 11. ci8 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. never complained or got angry ; on the contrary, after they had pushed the boat on a quarter of a yard, and were resting, they chattered and laughed amongst themselves as if it were nothing at all. ^TOWN OF HAN-TCHONG-FOU. i9 Fortunately, Han.-Tchong-Fou was not far off ; we could see Chi-Pa-Li-Pou, its suburb. Numbers of people all around us; some wading tbe river, others going along the banks of the Han. We saw porters dragging about their burdens on a very practical apparatus, as the weight was equalised between the shoulders. Four porters crossed the river bearing a palanquin, in which sat a lady smoking her pipe, and apparently, quite unconcerned when she saw me level my glasses at her. Suddenly, to our surprise, a favourable wind arose. Our sails were at once unfurled, and we set off with a speed that I had begun to forget was possible. The boatman had great hopes of reaching the end of our journey before nightfall, but we did not succeed in this, and had to stop short in the evening, whilst Yan searched for sufficiently deep moorings to avoid striking on a sandbank. At the same instant I saw a man walking along the banks at some distance, dressed in European garb. Charmed at the prospect of such a meeting, we asked ourselves who it could be; but our illusion was speedily dispelled, as it turned out to be one of our fellow-travellers, the interpreter, who had walked to Han-Tchong-Fou. He held up a parcel to us, and shouting that he had brought us our letters, asked if the chief’s boat was far off. Telling him that it was still a good way behind, we bade him come on board, and wait till it caught us up. A small boat soon brought him to us, so famished that he was quite unable to answer the various questions we put to him as to the town, its population, or our lodgings. He{20 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. swallowed several boiled eggs without waiting for the salt, and some tea without sugar, saying that he was accustomed to the latter, as he had had no sugar with him, and had been allowed none from the general store. “Indeed,” he said, “sugar is a small matter when people are dying of starvation; and one fowl divided among eight people, you can understand, does not suffice to satisfy their hunger.” The dread of a scolding made him leave our boat as quickly as possible, and we now stopped for the night; it was the last we were to spend in the cabin which had been our abode for nearly two months. It was as warm as summer ; the wild-duck, snipe, and other birds filled the air with their cries. April Vdth. First day of Eastertide. We spent the greatest feast of our year in an altogether ordinary way. We had even more troubles than usual, as we had to unload all our things and take them into the town. At seven in the morning the boat stopped for good and all. We had to pack up and send all the bedding and baggage on wheelbarrows into the town, which was about a mile and a quarter distant. At last everything was done, and the boat resumed its former empty and dirty appearance. We took leave of the boatman and his family, to whom we had become so accustomed, and bidding farewell to the Han, we walked after the barrows, distracted by the horrible squeaking of their wheels. We were accompanied by the men who had towed us, and who each carried some of our baggage. An earthquake had occurred at Han-Tchong-Fou during the previous year, and killed a great many of theTOWN OF HAN-TCHONG-FOU. 21 inhabitants. The space separating the town from the river was covered with small houses and cultivated fields, among 6thers fields of poppies in full bloom, wild crocuses (Cartha-mustinctonus'), and garlic. The care with which everything was kept up was particularly noticeable ; the shape and arrangement of the beds showed the care of the horticulturist; thus, sojne were square, others triangular, &c. These various arrangements were all thought out according to the nature of the plants—the poppy, for instance, requiring the broad sunshine, whereas garlic will only grow in the shade. The street through the suburb was so narrow that two wheelbarrows could not pass each other in it. Groups of women collected in the doorways to see us, and at length we reached the grand old gate of the town, which during its existence must have witnessed many stirring events. Lined with iron, it had resisted many an enemy, but had also admitted some. During the insurrection of the Taipings the rebels entered the town, after a siege of eight months. Going through the narrow streets I could imagine the terrible carnage and all the horrors of the war of which they were the scene. Two well-dressed young Chinamen made tlieir way through the crowd to speak to us, and not being able to make themselves understood, they made the sign of the cross. It would be difficult to describe the impression this simple action made upon me in the midst of this crowd of strangers with whom I had nothing in common ; this sign, needing no other explanation, told me that these were brothers. TheyA JOURNEY IN CHINA. ■2 2 took us under their protection and led us to the door of the house reserved for our use. I gathered from their talk that there were other Chinese Christians in the town, and that one of them could speak Latin (houa). Our interpreter, whom I had imagined to be left behind on the boat, had already reached the courtyard of the house which the barrows loaded with our baggage were just about to enter. He informed us that it was intended we should remain two or three weeks here to repair the damage occasioned by the wreck. This meant that we should remain stationary six weeks at least, so we had just to make up our minds to it. Nine rooms in all were set apart for our people. The three apportioned to us were at the end of the courtyard, and consequently faced the entrance; the other six were at the sides. They were more like hen-houses or dirty sheds, having no ceiling. The wind whistled through the roof, the walls were covered with dust, cobwebs, and mould. Scorpions, mice, spiders, and woodlice had long taken up their abode therein. The miniature windows, latticed and filled in with paper, gave so little light that we could not read in the middle of the day without a candle. Everything smelt damp and musty. The beds and mattresses were like those in the jail of a small county town ; it was, in fact, no better than a prison. But this must not lead the reader to suppose that all the houses in Han-Tchong-Fou were like this. It was only one of those failures which may be met with in any part of the world, and it had been taken because the rent was moderate. We debated whether we should search for other quarters,EN T lì AN CE TO HAX-TCH ONO-P Ol'24 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. but came to the conclusion that we had better remain where we were, although it might easily have been avoided, as everything in this place was very cheap. We chose the cleanest of the three rooms and proceeded to settle ourselves, endeavouring to make it as habitable as possible. It possessed, at any rate, one advantage in common with all other Chinese houses, namely, that of always being cool, although the heat outside was at its height, and unbearable even in the shade. After a short time we sent to get some dinner at a restaurant, while the men who had towed us unloaded the baggage in an adjacent room and came to take leave of us. I had no intercourse with these men, and yet felt quite sorry to part from them. We could not understand each other, and yet they had zealously tried to anticipate my every wish. Like a true son of Western civilisation, I was unable to believe that their motives could be disinterested, or that they expected no reward, but they never showed any dissatisfaction if their small services were left unpaid. These poor workmen were really sincere, and strangers to cupidity. I was unfortunately debarred from expressing my feelings to them, but they promised to come hack and see us if they did not get work on another boat. Shortly afterwards our chief arrived with the rest of the party, and all busied themselves in getting settled. The Chinese Christians returned with two others, bringing a letter from an Italian missionary, Father Yidi, from Verona, with greetings on our arrival, and informing us thatVISIT TO THE AUTHORITIES. 25 lie had lived eight years at Han-Tchong-Fou, and greatly desired to make our acquaintance. This letter, written in Latin, was sent to me by Sosnowsky with a request that I would answer it, which I immediately did. We continued our unpacking, with the door shut, to the great disappointment of the crowd, who would have forced it in if it had not been guarded by the police. After dinner I wandered into the town, preceded and followed by two policemen. The good offices of the local authorities did not end here, as they further sent us an excellent and abundant dinner. The neighbouring streets, I was thus enabled to see, were tolerably wide and well-paved. I was also taken to some workshops, a mill, and various temples. The population, as far as I could judge, was quiet and peaceable. April 14th. It was decided, in our own interests, at once to pay our respects to the local authorities. We therefore went in full uniform to the Ya-min, where the governor of the province lived, following the ceremonial so often described. The reception hall consisted of a large room lighted by numerous windows, partially glazed and partially filled with paper, which constituted a certain amount of luxury. The governor, a little bent old man, with sharp black eyes, wore mourning for his emperor ; that is, he was dressed in white, without the button on his hat. After the customary presentations, he made us sit down beside him, and had both the interpreters to his assistance. The conversation was carried on in the following manner : Sosnowsky26 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. spoke to Andre'iewsky, who translated the words of the chief into the Kiaehta dialect for the other interpreter, Siui, and the latter turned them into Chinese ! The two interpreters got on very badly together, the stupid old Siui constantly supplying anything that came uppermost, and getting well abused for it, hut his equanimity was quite undisturbed by this. The governor (tchi-fou) was able, however, to understand the misfortune that had overtaken us, although, whilst expressing his great regret for the losses we had sustained, he never suggested any indemnity, which I had quite expected him to do. Tea was then served and everyone began to smoke. The old man continued talking, and we all laughed without knowing exactly why. He gave us, however, reassuring accounts as to the remainder of our route. Our second visit was to the military commandant (tzoun-bian), whom we favoured with the same history of our losses, regret for our lost property, and consequent inability to present gifts. We then adjourned to visit the prefect (clao-tai), a toothless old man, who reminded me of our own old civilians. Our fourth visit was to relate our misfortunes to the head of the district (tchi-sian). Whilst tea was being served, Sosnowsky asked what tea came from Tzy-Yan-Sian; whether it was black, and whether Han-Tchong-Fou could produce bai-ho, a particular kind of tea. The chief of the district replied that there was no black tea at Tzy-Yan-Sian, and very little bai-ho at Han-Tchong-Fou.VISIT TO THE AUTHORITIES. 27 Then ensued an argument between the interpreter, Siui, and Sosnowsky, who yowed that Siui had told him he had bought black tea there. Siui as positively asserted that he had done nothing of the kind, and our host doubtless wondered why they had selected his home as the scene of their quarrels. They all shouted at old Siui, who was quite stunned by it. “ What sort of interpreter are you p” said Andreiewsky ; “ you should never state anything on your own account; if a thing is asserted to be black, say it is black, even if you know it to be green.” When we got home, the subject was again revived, but remembering the advice Andreiewsky had given him, Siui agreed to everything our chief advanced. Meanwhile the chief of the district had already arrived to return our visit, and awaited admittance in his palanquin at the door. His arrival was overlooked in the heat of the discussion, and he went away without our seeing him. This blunder was perceived too late, and Siui was sent after him with our apologies. April 15th. Visit from the tchi-fou. Our misfortunes were again related to him. He was moreover informed that our losses prevented our receiving them all as mandarins ought to be received, in that we were ruined, but that we thanked them all for their kind intentions. The mandarin replied that everyone would help us as mueh as possible, and on the strength of our sad history they began sending us all sorts of food—roast ducks, boiled fowls, bread, &c. Our misfortunes, however, were not28 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. exactly so great ; we really had all we required, and a good supply of money from Pekin awaited our arri vai. But the moral effect of the shipwreck made itself felt ; thus Siu'i, who had been sent with presents to the mandarins, informed one of them that our losses amounted to 40,000 roubles (£6,416 13s. 4d.). After we were quite settled down, Sosnowsky endeavoured to obtain information concerning the insurrection of the Toun-Gran. For this reason he ordered the attendants to find out some old man in the town, saying old men were living chronicles. This living chronicle existed in our own house, and as far às I know he filled the position of porter. He was certainly old, but it was perfectly impossible to extract anything from him. As the subject interested me, I was present at the cross-questioning he was put through by thè two interpreters. He was given a chair and tea and then— “ Well, brother Siui-Sianchen,” began Andreiewsky, “pay attention, translate accurately, and add nothing of your own. Ask if he knows the words Toun-Gan ?” “ Ten-Gan I know> but not Toun-Gan ,” replied the old man. “It is the same thing,” replied Sosnowsky ; “ there is only a difference in pronunciation. Let him only tell me that the wor^s means ‘ east/ that is all I want.” “ Toun signifies east,” said the old man. “Yery well; now ask him if he knows the Salars and Sifans, and what these people are ? Do théir women wear pantaloons or petticoats P and during the war were the SifansCATHOLIC MISSION. 29 the allies of the Toun-Gan or of the Chinese?” The old man answered a few of the questions, but had not the least idea of etymology. Having acquired a little more courage, he began chattering all sorts of nonsense, and contradicting himself right and left. It must be owned that the questions put to him were difficult for him to answer, such as, whether the tomb of Fou-Si, one of the most ancient emperors of China, was to be found in the town. He was also asked about the people of Miao-Tzy and Daldy, their political organization, the extent of their local commerce in goods from Russia or Thibet, &c. Seeing the utter uselessness of these interrogations, I absented myself from similar attempts on other occasions. April 1 §th. Visit from Father Vidi, the Verona missionary, who came with a Chinese Christian called Tjchan. The father was still quite young, and could not have been more than thirty-five years old, but his hand shook and his step was uncertain. He was dressed like a Chinese, his head was shaven, and he wore a long artificial tail. As he had lived seven years in China, he must have been thoroughly acquainted with the language by this time, but it was difficult to get on with him, as he only knew Italian, and I had not much facility in expressing myself in Latin. He spoke very highly of the Chinese, and praised their kindness and industry, but accused the higher classes, and especially the lesser officials, of a good deal of presumption. He questioned us on the'object of our journey, and could scarcely conceal the dread he had of our eastern railways, wishing much to know if they were approaching Kouldja. Seven years in30 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. China had not made him indifferent to European politics, or to the amount of attention the West was devoting to the Eastern Question. He was probably interested in Kouldja owing to the disappearance of a missionary who had left for that country three years ago ; however, he was sincerely glad to see Europeans again, and asked us all to dine with him the following night. The Catholic mission was at a considerable distance from the town, and having no horses, we were obliged to go there in palanquins. The two Chinese Christians before mentioned accompanied us, besides two policemen to each palanquin. The bearers walked fast, but kept step with each other, and notwithstanding the swinging of the palanquin I was able to note the various small retail wares sold along the roads : salt, powder, cottons, vegetables, medicines, spectacles, fans, pottery, saddles, copper pots, combs, nails, boxes, beans, wadding, vermicelli, radishes, ribbons, birds, pastry, boots, tea-oil (tza-you), sugar-canes, pork, candles, garments, jelly of peas (f portrait oh the sly, as no one dared order her about. These women resembled our farm-servants both in their manners and in their dirt. . The young girl had itch on her- hands, and probably all over her, as she scratched herself unmercifully. I spent a whole morning drawing their little courtyard, which was so narrow and darkened by overhanging roofs that fresh air and sunlight never reached it. The air was foul and charged with miasma, and I could never have remained in it without my cigar. It was not surprising that the health of the inhabitants was unsatisfactory. That day they ate their dinners whilst I was there. The little boy awaited the meal with impatience, and kept on asking whether they were not going to begin soon, to which the “ General ” replied that he should have no dinner at all if“MRS. GENERAL. 49 lie were troublesome. He must bave been quite aware of tbe worth of this threat, for he was the first to be helped to a cup of rice, with beans, cabbage, and a bit of bacon. He swallowed the boiling rice in one moment to insure a second supply ; and the women ate quite as greedily, aided by their chopsticks, one seated on the threshold, another standing. “ Mrs. General n alone had a chair. A monkey chained in the corner was also given its portion of rice, which it stuffed into its cheeks, and then took out little by little with its fingers. This nourishment was of course insufficient, and they consequently got up regularly during the night to eat. I used to hear them frizzling grease or butter; one could have imagined an ox was being roasted. They occasionally got up twice in the night. Meanwhile our fellow travellers were having their property dried and cleaned, and were tasting the various samples of tea they had bought. Our chief finished his report upon our journey, our occupations and various commercial items chiefly concerning the tea trade. We came to the conclusion, after much tea-tasting, that the tea grown here, although excellent in quality, was not to be compared to the tea generally used in Russia, and that as it would never be popular in that country, there could be no use in mentioning it. We did not even see any plantations in the neighbourhood, and thought we were shortly to visit the province of Sse-Tchouan, where we expected to find a great abundance of natural produce, a magnificent capital, a sympathetic people, and most beautiful scenery* VOL. II. E5o A JOURNEY IN CHINA. But we were suddenly informed that our route was altered, THE TORMENTS OF HELL, FROM THE GALLERY OF THE TEMPLE OF HAN-TCHONG-FOU. and that our steps were no longer to he directed southwardsCHINESE PUNISHMENTS. 5i to Sse-Tchouan, but to tbe northwest, which meant towards Russia. According to my usual habits, I wandered about the town collecting plants and insects from the gardens. I saw everything that was worthy of interest, and amongst other things a gallery attached to a temple, in which were represented the various sufferings of hell. I remembered during my childhood having read a book relating in detail all the sufferings and tortures to which criminals were submitted in China, and I now found them depicted in this gallery. Crime in China is punished with death, and the con-* demned executed in three different ways: by gradual strangulation, to give the soul time to get out of the body, by decapitation, and by quartering; this at least is asserted by trustworthy authors. But these various modes of death are not to be compared to the horrors of this gallery. One criminal was boiled alive in a cauldron ; elsewhere a woman was squeezed to death between two stones, or pulverized in a mortar; and farther on a man was being sawn in two, &c. Although ill-executed, these pictures could not be viewed with indifference. In some of them the faces of the tortured expressed the highest degree of terror and suffering, and in others, indifference and resignation. The gods assisting at these executions were painted under various aspects. Some appeared to pay no heed to what was going on around them; others looked severe and threatening ; some repulsive and dreadful. Among these gods, executioners, and criminals, there was5 2 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. an intermediate order of beings, sometimes represented as carrying a human head suspended from their shoulder, like a travelling bag. According to the popular belief, these have a good deal of influence in the other world, and numerous offerings are presented to them, such as lighted candles. The Chinese also sprinkle their heads with the blood of animals that have been sacrificed, principally that of cocks, and anoint their lips wfith oil. One may also see those who have been decapitated addressing prayers to the gods, with their heads tied by the Hi air to their sides. We had numerous visitors, either merchants or sick people ; neither did the Christian doctor we had met on the Han forget to come and see us. Knowing how much importance the Chinese attach to feeling the pulse, I begged my colleague to show me their manner of doing it, and to give me a professional opinion on the state of my health. The doctor took my hand, pressed three fingers on the forepart of my arm, and shutting his eyes began his examination. During at least ten minutes he kept his fingers on my arm, changing their position, going up and down it, touching it as lightly as if he were playing the violin, and putting on an air of deep thought during the whole process. This fingering, with the solemn face and mysterious expression, could not fail to influence the patient, especially if he happened to be ignorant. During the time that my colleague was shutting hisCHINESE DOCTORS. 53 eyes and trying to guess what was going on in my body, I said to myself, “ My friend, you are a charlatan if you do all this without any faith, and just to impose upon a fellow-creature; but if you really have confidence in your knowledge, I can see, were, it only by the way that you feel my pulse, that you do not know very much of medical science.” When he had finished his examination, he informed ine that my health was in a normal condition. It would have been interesting to hear him define an illness, supposing there had been one. What confidence could anyone have in a doctor who pretended to know by a woman’s pulse whether her child would be a boy or a girl ? Thanks to the public ignorance, the Chinese doctors, who are real impostors, can exist and make a good living. I was curious to know what they charged for a visit, and found that they got from 10 to 50 kopecks (from 4d. to Is. 6d.); the highest fee being 2 roubles (6s. 8d.) One day another doctor came to see, me. He was of a certain age, and was said to be the best doctor in the town. He brought me his grandson, and begged me to treat his complaint, none of his own remedies having had any effect. The boy had an abscess deeply embedded in his hip, which only required lancing. His grandfather had treated it with internal remedies, and was surprised at the wTant of effect. I proposed operating, and he at once consented to my doing so, which was a great proof of confidence in a foreign doctor. The operation was performed in the yard, and the boy at once became easier, for his suffering was at an end. He54 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. came back nearly well some days afterwards, with his grandfather, bringing me presents of tea, fruit, pastry, and cakes. The old man prostrated himself to the ground, lavishing praises upon me, and expressing boundless gratitude. I did not quite understand all he said, but probably the habitual phrases used to doctors came into play. “You find out disease like a spirit. The benefactions you confer on the world are like the return of spring ; you are the rival of Ho and of Houen55 (celebrated doctors in olden times). He departed, probably imagining that foreign doctors are equally successful in the treatment of all other diseases. I had numerous clients in this town, where I acquired celebrity and general consideration. Everybody knew me, and the sick being aware that I accepted no money, tried to testify their gratitude by presents, which generally consisted of food, and they sometimes brought me live fowls. Some sent them before they came for a consultation. One of my patients, who was a mandarin, came one day and asked me to go with him to a theatrical representation, given near a temple, on the occasion of a local fête. I think I have already mentioned that there are no ]tsident companies in China. The actors wander in troupes or societies from one place to another, under various conspicuous and amusing titles, such as “ Happiness/5 “Blessed Society/5 “ Society of the famous apparition.55 They give representations in rich private houses, or on stages raised near the temples to celebrate their special holidays. We were accompanied by two police agents, who made way for us though the crowd of spectators standing,THEATRE. 55 sitting, or squatting about on the ground. There was no entrance money. My neighbours began to crowd around me, but the police scattered them with deafening shouts. Order could not be disturbed, as it did not exist. The spectators walked about, talked, stretched themselves, sucked Sugar-canes, smoked their pipes, and the noise never ceased during this open-air play. This is probably why their theatrical music is so noisy; no other could drown the general uproar. I looked on without knowing the least what the piece was about, and could see nothing amusing in the hideous grinning faces, the gestures and steps of these comedians, or the way they used their wrists, which being particularly supple, were therefore adapted to every kind of movement. The musicians were placed at the back of the stage, and when the action of the play did not require their music, they smoked or sucked sugar-canes and drank tea, which did not in the least interfere with the quarrels, the love-making, and suicide of the actors, or with their long solemn monologues. No curtain, no decorations, no pauses between the acts. The piece was played without an interlude from beginning to end, and the scenes were all shifted in the sight of the audience. If, for instance, a flame had to be represented, a man climbed up a ladder, emptied a packet of inflammable powder into the air and set it on fire with a piece of paper. In the courtyard tea-tables were arranged under tents, and even in the precincts of the temple, whilst barbers vigorously plied their trade in front of the stage.5^ A JOURNEY IN CHINA. The Chinese consider that it enhances the enjoyment of the play if they can be shaved or have their pigtail combed out whilst it is going on. I went up into the surrounding gallery to try and make a drawing of the scene, but the love of art is so strong in the \ Chinese that they threw themselves upon me in a body, and I was forced to desist. Our chief invited the theatrical company of twenty members to come and be photographed the following day. The actors brought their costumes in chests, dressed themselves up as if for the play, and were then photographed. The price agreed upon for the halfday they spent with us was 5,000 sapeques or about 17 shillings. Besides this company we came across wandering minstrels, comprising an old man and his two daughters. But we saw neither acrobats nor conjurors. These appear to be rare in China, and those that exist are not at all skilful. Great varieties of people begged all sorts of things from us. Some asked us to procure their promotion ; others had grievances, and begged us to plead for them at the tribunal*. This was brought about by a report having got abroad that Sosnowsky was all-powerful. It seems that he had been in the habit of saying that he had only to say the word to Djoun (some governor) to insure that the latter would at once take a button and decorate the individual in whose favour he had spoken. Moreover the lanterns at the entrance of our house had something to do with this belief in the all-power-fulness of our chief. These two lanterns, which had been ordered by him, had the name and position of the tenantDEPARTURE. 57 inscribed upon them ; it was probably by mistake that the title of governor-general (tziaan-tzunn) had been added, which some of the Chinese were sufficiently credulous to believe to be Sosnowsky’s real rank. Another circumstance that may have fostered this error in the minds of the inhabitants was the appearance one day of old Siui with a blue button surmounting his hat. Old Siui was only a simple shopman, and behold him promoted to the rank of colonel! This unlucky button had been stuck on his hat by mistake. Our stupid landlord asked for promotion on the strength of this, as if he could easily confer it. These requests were not merely addressed to the chief, but to us as forming part of his suite; everyone begged us to intercede on their behalf, and offered us presents of all sorts—pieces of silk, saffron from Thibet, tea, swallows’ nests, &c. We quite dreaded these applicants, and were obliged to dismiss them without hearing their requests, and to give orders to the Cossack to explain that we had no influence in their country. The local authorities were beginning to ask when we were to leave the town, and questioned us several times on the subject. Towards the end of our stay they again began to supply us with good dinners, and sometimes sent two editions in one day. These dinners were sent out in the most original fashion. The meal comprised ten dishes, or rather bowls, arranged on a tray formed like a shallow box. Several men carried it through the town on poles slung across their shoulders; if a roast fowl was included in the meal, it was58 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. stuck on the tip of a kind of immense pitchfork raised high in the air, and carried behind the first set of servants—a very novel and amusing way of dishing up roast duck. Our ingots of silver were brought to us in the same way from Pekin. Two soldiers brought nearly a hundred pounds’ ^weight on poles from which was hung a plank, with the boxes containing the money balanced upon it, and covered with pomegranate branches in full blossom. Red is the emblem of joy and happiness, and is also used to express all manner of good wishes, If the mandarins were anxious to ascertain the day of our departure, it was only that they might take all the measures indispensable for our safety during our approaching journey. The start was at last fixed for the 19th of May, and on the 16th we paid our brief farewell visits. They consisted of our thanks, recited by Andre'iewsky in the Kiachta dialect, and repeated by Siu'i in Chinese. “ The chief commands me to thank you for your aid and help, for bread, salt, and lodging, and all your attention ; for enabling us to hire horses at a moderate cost,” &c. Our party started on horseback, and mules had been procured for the baggage. All the chests and boxes were weighed, and noted down, and then the total weight was subdivided among the mules, that each might have an equal share. We turned our steps northwards to the province of Han-Sou. We were a large party: our landlord, invited by Sosnowsky, two servants, one of whom, being a clever locksmith, had announced that he intended going to Russia toDEPARTURE. ‘59 perfect himself in his art ; the great Tan-Loe and Liu-Ba, our attendant and a man hired to carry the box containing our notes, the instructions, and my drawings, as this seemed the most secure way of taking them. I ought not to forget6o A JOURNEY IN CHINA. a monkey presented by our landlord, in anticipation of the promotion promised at Lan-Tcheou, a parrot which a patient had given me, and a squirrel the photographer had acquired during our voyage on the Han, and which, after being shipwrecked on the Loun-Tan Rapids, had been casually fished up, having clung to a cabin door.CHAPTER IT. Plain of Han-Tchong-Fou—Town of Mian-Sian—Mountains—Hums of Lo-* Yan-Sian-—Village of Pei-Fei-Sian—Surgical Operation on the Highroad—Inns—Town of Tzing-Tchoou—Visit to the Authorities—Brutality of a Police Agent. We were to travel across North-Western China and the vast desert of Mongolia on our return to Russia, and leaving the basin of the Yan-Tze-Kiang, were to cross the Tzing-Ling-Schan chain of mountains to reach the basin of another river, the Houang-Ho (Yellow River), pursue this valley as far up as the town of Lan-Tcheou-Fou ; cross another chain to the north of the valley, and then proceed along the plain of Central Asia as far as the Celestial Mountains, behind which the steppes stretched out to meet the range of the Altai Mountains. May 20th. Sunrise. Pure unclouded atmosphere. The recent rains had cooled the air. The small courtyard belonging to our house was full of life and hustle with the final packing going on; endless noise and commotion ; one giving orders in Russian, which the Chinese failed to comprehend, another settling the accounts and last payments, and a third busy writing letters. Some were packing up the various chests left open to the last; others, quite ready to start, waited quietly smoking their pipes, or quenching their thirst with tea.62 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. ifotwithstanding the early hour the heat was very great, and we eagerly sought any available shade. At last it came to loading the beasts; the officers and soldiers forming our escort were ready, and we decided on starting. With eight policemen on foot, and helping to carry our things, we sallied forth into the street. The crowd was quiet and respectful; our acquaintances bade us farewell, or waved their hands to us, and we soon left the town and suburbs, and found ourselves in the midst of fields of wheat and cotton. The rice-fields seemed like vast mirrors lying on the ground, for they had just been flooded, and in places the labourers were up to their knees in the water ; elsewhere little groups thrashed the corn exactly as we do in Europe. The whole plain of the Han-Tchong-Fou was now unfolded to our eyes. Celebrated for its fertility as well as its teem-ing population, the Chinese have called it “ paradise,” but that it could scarcely be to every one, as I remarked that most of the inhabitants seemed sickly, and many suffered from eye-disease, or were nearly blind. This immense plain was enamelled with farms, villages, pretty temples, and groups of trees, principally palms (Cha-mcerops), peaches, and apricots; numberless canals with grassy banks watered the land in every direction, and little stone bridges devoid of parapets made the path easy to the traveller. Soon we stopped, that our colleagues might overtake us, and at last our party was complete. Four soldiers carried in a palanquin the mandarin who was to escort us to the next village, and walked even faster than our horses. ThenPLAIN OF HAN-TCHONG-FOU. 63 came an escort of eight men in uniform, carrying arms which resembled halberds or lances, then sixteen men of the police force, and finally a caravan of thirty mules loaded with our baggage. The drivers walked beside their beasts, sunburnt and dusty, and cooled themselves with fans like our ladies at home. One soldier carried my parrot, another led Sosnowsky’s little monkey, but the poor beast was soon tired, so the soldier took it up and carried it. The caravan continued its way undeterred by the almost tropical heat, which only became endurable when the sun had set behind the mountains. We approached a big village, where our quarters had already been secured by the Chinese, and every one rejoiced at the prospect of resting after such a day of bustling about and fatigue. But to the general disgust this was not to be, as the, chief announced that we were not to halt before the next village, ten miles off. In vain the Chinese protested, saying that this order would upset all the arrangements already made for our comfort. Willing or unwilling, we were obliged to go on. Before nightfall we forded a wide stream ; then our old acquaintance the Han, which at this point was neither wide nor deep, but still navigable. The village in which we wanted to halt was now far behind us, night had overtaken us, we were dreadfully tired, but still continued on our way. At last we reached another village, surrounded by a wall, where nothing having been prepared for us, we had to search about for shelter. Rather than spend the night in the streets, we turned our steps towards an inn.64 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. Disgusted by the disdain with which their efforts for our comfort had been met, the Chinese showed no further anxiety as to our fate. They soon vanished in the darkness, and most probably were much better housed than we were. I sat a long time on my horse in the middle of the courtyard, where each was busy with his own affairs, and paid no heed to us. At last Tan took my horse and showed me where I was to go, saying, “ Bad house, not at all good.” I entered a sort of shed. The walls were blackened with smoke; it was lit up by a nightlight, aud one half was filled to the roof with straw. The other was occupied by an enormous kang, big enough to hold twenty people. A table and two stools were brought, tea and eggs purchased, and then there was nothing for it but to throw ourselves down on the kang, which had perhaps been tenanted by beings of very doubtful cleanliness the night before. May 21 st. I got up betimes, and found our soldiers already waiting for us Wishing to secure a little time, I took three I had known at Han-Tchong-Fou and started. My companions walked well, notwithstanding the heat. These beardless young fellows, in their broad-brimmed straw hats and wide garments, looked more like women than soldiers. We were still on yesterday’s plain. Wheat and vast poppy-fields on every side, and notches in most of the poppy-heads for extracting the opium. Fine trees and shrubs lined the road, which was more like an avenue in a private park than an ordinary highway. “ This is Mian-Sian,” said one of my guides, and I saw a wall, roofs of houses, and a ten-storied tower, through theTOWN OF MIAN-SIAN. H branches of a group of trees at the foot of a hill. We shortly afterwards reached the suburbs of the town, where rooms had been prepared for our reception. These we found to be a great contrast to the shed we had inhabited the night before. The windows were covered with fresh paper, the beds were clean, and we had a little narrow table and benches. Whilst my colleague slept I arranged the plants I had gathered for my herbarium, and then took a turn in the town. Going through the gate of the grey wall, I came on an immense space covered with weeds and ruined heaps of brick and plaster. This was the first monument of the civil war. The surrounding wall was all that was left; not the smallest vestige of a house was spared. The conflagration set agoing by the insurgent Mahometans had in a few hours destroyed the work of centuries.* It was ten years since the destruction of the town of Mian* Sian, and the inhabitants had abandoned the old site and rebuilt the town, which I had mistaken for a suburb, outside the walls. In the old town they now grew wheat, maize, and other cereals. At this stage our escort was changed; the soldiers came to take leave of us, and made their genuflections. They each received eight kopecks (less than twopence), and returned to Han-Tchong-F ou. May 22nd. We now approached the mountains, which were cultivated to their topmost summit, many of the fields being arranged in terraces. The soil is clay, and of a yellowish red or a greyish green. * Written in 1874. VOL II. F66 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. On our road were numerous villages shaded by very old trees, which greatly added to the beauty of the landscape. I will only describe one small village on the Pei-Ma-Ho, and hidden in the foliage of poplars and pomegranates. A small water-mill was at work, and I stopped to contemplate the tranquil existence led by a handful of men unknown to the world at large, utterly ignorant of it in return, and caring still less for it. The mill appeared to be in full-swing ; the women were busy washing, others were arranging wheat in little cups for domestic use. Farther on two men had just killed and hung a pig upon a tree. They were now heating it vigorously, as this was supposed to render its flesh tender and more delicate in flavour. Hens and chickens, ducks, cows, dogs, and sows with their sucklings wandered around, the latter closely resembling the small Chinese, which their mothers often nurse till they are two or three years old. At this very place I saw two children run away to play after being suckled at their mother’s breast. The road gradually ascended, and we soon found ourselves surrounded by mountains ; but the country remained equally populous. At every step we met Chinese adorned with broad-brimmed hats, and with straw shoes on their feet, each provided with a parasol, or rather umbrella, which was carried folded on the shoulder, their wraps and tobacco being fastened to them. The ascent and descent were facilitated by steps cut out in the rocks. Nature presented a splendid sight, and we were enchanted by the luxuriant vegetation, but to my great regret it was impossible to stop. Hastily gathering what-MOUNTAINS. 6 7 ever came within my reach, if I got behind the caravan I was always obliged to catch it up by forcing the pace, fatiguing both my horse and the soldiers of my escort, who thus got no time to rest or eat. The steps we had to climb on horseback reminded me of those at Gouan-Goou; they were attended with the same dangers, and the least false step might have precipitated horse and rider to the bottom of the cliff. At last we safely reached the top of the mountain, where a temple arose under the shadow of beautiful trees. The portico stood out with its penthouse, and we had to pass under it, as there was no space beyond. The ceiling of the penthouse was supported by pillars, painted in the most brilliant colours. There was only one idol in the temple, and beside it a bell, which the hechan at once set ringing, to invite offerings from any passer-by. At the moment we happened to pass there was another priest in the temple, an albino with red eyes trying to avoid the light, by reason of his infirmity. On leaving the temple we began to descend. Both in the villages and isolated houses I was struck by the absence of the Chinese type ; these sunburnt peasants reminded me more of our Russian villagers, so much did they resemble our Ivans and Peters. At first the soldiers could not understand why I was picking up every sort of thing so busily, but at last they got interested themselves, and helped me energetically in my researches. The people we met by chance did the same. I tried unsuccessfully to reach a plant above the path, and some people resting on the slope above at once got it for me,68 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. and brought it down before I had time to ask them to do so. These attentions from simple country-folk were most pleasing ; but as night was coming on I had to hasten after my companions. In the village where we were to spend the night there were no rooms ready, the Chinese having arranged our halt at another spot. However, we were not long in finding quarters. Our dirty room was blackened with smoke, and the discomfort enhanced by its being shared by the owner and his family, who were only separated from us by a piece of matting, full of holes. It was suspended from the ceiling. But in point of fact we were all in the same room. But how were we to search for better on this rainy night ? There was nothing for it but to resign ourselves, and remain where we were. Tan-Loe borrowed a lantern from a passer-by, who could not, however, leave it with us. The owner of the house then lit a bundle of shavings, but the dense pungent smoke would have suffocated us if we had not sent him away. He endeavoured to make up for his stupidity by bringing a lamp, which smoked and had a horrible smell, so we had to send him off again, and thus we remained in darkness until our candles could be fished out of the baggage. Then with that curiosity peculiar to all travellers, I approached the mat to see what was happening on the other side. A sad spectacle greeted me—profound misery; two nearly naked children lying on the floor ill, a third in the mother’s arms; a deformed old woman, probably the grandmother, with a pipe between her teeth. There were a few bundles of rags, but not a chair or a bed. When our candlesRUINS OF LO-YAN-SIAN. 69 were lit the old woman came in her turn to look through the mat at the people that heaven had sent to them in this night of rain. Fatigue and the rain had made us sleepy, but I had still a bird to stuff (Genicus tancolo, Gould), and to arrange the plants I had collected. I was undecided what to do, when the interpreter came to tell us that the intention was to photograph the neighbourhood in the morning, and that we should not start before eight o’clock. This news made me immediately decide on going to bed. May 23rd. I was awoke at five o’clock in the morning by the drivers’ screams and blows. Every one was ready to start. The weather was bad; it rained incessantly, and as it was impossible to photograph the “ views of nature,” as our interpreter expressed it, orders had been given for our immediate start. I had no time to arrange my plants, and had to throw away the bird, finding it impossible to work under such circumstances. The road still wandered through the hills, and we reached a great height, without, however, attaining the highest summit of the chain dividing the plain of the Yan-Tze-Kiang on the south from that of the Houan-Ho on the north. We now perceived the battlemented little town of Lo-Yan-Sian on the mountain side, and farther on an enormous tower, which seemed almost to reach the skies. We forded a small river as limpid as crystal, and then climbed up to a terrace skirting the wall. This little town had met with a fate similar to that of Mian-Sian. On passing through the gate we seemed rather to have come out of the town than7 o A JOURNEY IN 'CHINA. to baye entered it. The site was grass-grown ; a few cornfields and about ten houses, built since the war, were alone visible. “ In China/’ said Matoussowsky, “ there are no towns without walls, but it seems there are walls without towns.” The walls were quite intact, even the staircases where the wall sloped up the mountain-side, and so were the temples and barracks. Was the garrison insufficient to defend the town against the enemy ? Did it defend itself to the uttermost ? The Chinese are all aware that fortifications are of no great importance, for when hunger opens the gates there is no means of salvation or escape from a victorious enemy excited by opposition. Therefore they now build their towns outside the old walls. On reaching the suburb, or rather the town constructed outside the wall, one of the soldiers took me to the lodgings prepared for us. A great crowd having assembled at the entrance, one of the police agents thought it necessary to announce our arrival in such a loud voice and with such screams that it would scarcely have been surprising if we had crushed at least ten of the most inquisitive, arriving as we did at full galop. The Chinese took fright and fled in every direction ; it was so comical that to laugh was irresistible. When they got over their first alarm they all followed my example, with the exception of one man, who in his flight had tumbled into a pool of water, and wTas now grumbling and shaking off the wet. ' May 24dh. It still rained, and we started without knowing the length of stage we should have to travel, and unable inA JOURNEY IN CHINA. 7.2 consequence to divide the time. The country was splendid, the vegetation very rich, the ground well cultivated ; but notwithstanding all this the people were very poor. The slate houses had a miserable appearance. The inhabitants manufacture paper from the aralia bark, and work in coal-mines. I had a great wish to see a fine big house surrounded by a high wall which I had noticed close to the road as forming a strong contrast to the neighbouring huts. The gates were shut, but I sent one of my escort to ask permission, and he returned with a message begging me to enter, and took my horse by the bridle up the steps to the terrace leading to the entrance. The master of the house, who was considerably advanced in years, came forward and begged me to enter, he himself following me. Two servants at once brought cups of tea for me and their master, and on my expressing a wish to see his establishment, he immediately consented, took me all over his house, and showed me several little courts with dwelling-rooms ; but, to my great regret, the doors and windows were all shut. Everything was fresh ; the gilding shone brightly, the panels with inscriptions at the sides of the doors, any quantity of stages with pots of flowers on them. Cleanliness and tidiness reigned throughout, but all seemed inanimate. “ Absence of woman, absence of life.” Everything would have looked quite different if a woman had appeared to take part in the conversation. At last he led me into his little private room, and begged me to rest; but I was not tired, and understanding that heMOUNTAINS. 73 had nothing more to show me, I was about to take my leave, when one of the servants whispered something to him, and the master then begged me, in the most charming manner, to leave him some souvenir of my visit, for instance, a drawing, which he should always cherish. This request pleased me, and I therefore procured a paint-brush and some Chinese ink, and pointing to the wall, asked his permission to draw on it, to which he assented with visible delight. I drew him a landscape with mountains, a river, and steamboat, and on another wall I sketched my own portrait. He gave me his thanks, and I said farewell, leaving him to reflect on my strange and unexpected visit. I arrived at the village of Tie Tchann, where my companions were already installed. The photographer was taking Views, Matoussowsky was drawing his map ; the chief had finished what he had to do, and was settling to sleep. After refreshing myself and drinking tea, I stuffed two birds I had killed during the day, and dried my plants between blotting-paper. This took me a good while. The owner of the house and his servant had not gone to bed, probably out of civility, whilst I meanwhile impatiently awaited their departure, as they smoked and spat about the room incessantly. May 25th. A beautiful morning; fine weather. We started early, and continued our ascent by little paths hollowed out in the rocks. The slope was so dangerously sudden and the paths so narrow, that to this day I wonder what happens when two caravans meet. We reached the highest point of the natural line of demarcation between the two big rivers of China, to-day. A temple74 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. bad been erected on this spot, and was inhabited by several priests, whose fate I quite envied, for I would gladly have remained some time with them, the place being most interesting both from a picturesque and a scientific point of view. But we had no time to enjoy all this, and to our great regret made no halt. I stopped, however, for a few moments to contemplate those valleys and well-cultivated mountains, the summits of which were covered with farms at a height of nine thousand feet. After gathering a few plants together, I descended into a narrow ravine, watered by a little rivulet, where I found our soldiers resting in the shade. They explained that we must take a rest, as we were about to climb a very high mountain ; and we did, in truth, effectually begin a fresh ascent. The road went along the edge of such a precipice that it made one giddy to look over it. A river of considerable importance, called the Ta-Ho, bathes the foot of this mountain, from the heights of which I could see the small tributaries adding their emerald streams to the Ta-Ho ; the slopes of the hills, with their flat green summits covered with grass ; .and fields of wheat and pasturage. The corn was ripe, and the harvest was going on around us. A little farther on we could partially see the small town of Pei-Fei-San, situated on the Ta-Ho. The Chinese crossed the river on their way to a great commercial village, built on the other side of the Ta-Ho. How small everything appeared! Men, houses, and boats were still at a great distance ; no sound reached us, which at first seemed strange from a Chinese village. There was no breeze, and the heat wasVILLAGE OF PEI-FEI-SIAN. 75 insupportable. I felt sure that we should stop at Pei-Fei-Sian till next day, and therefore hoped after dinner to go into the town with my paint-box and paper. I soon got there, and looked in every direction, hut vainly, for any signs of my companions. On inquiring, I found that after a halt for breakfast they had continued their journey. This disgusted me immeasurably. I soon came upon Matous-sowsky on the banks of the river, taking plans, with the Cossack, Tan-Loe, and the soldiers. Matoussowsky confirmed the information just given me. Why should we have been so hurried ? Who forced us On in this way ? Why were we here P Was it to be able to say, when we got back to Russia, that we had gone from one end of China to the other ? I was quite exhausted with heat and thirst, so I had some tea made, and then sent into the town for food. My thirst and hunger were satisfied, but the various cups of hot tea I had swallowed produced such a violent perspiration that my strength failed me. After taking a few sketches I was going to try and catch up the “ scientific explorers of China,” and obviate the reproach of being the cause of a “ general delay,” when one of the soldiers turned to me, calling out “ Sir ! Doctor!” pointed to a woman on her knees, bowing to the ground before me. Her hand and arm were swollen up to the elbow, and her suffering must have been great. A few cuts from a lancet would have sufficed to give instant relief, but as the operation might have taken longer than the usual time required, and as I was very hurried, I was unwillingly obliged to refuse to operate. But when the poor woman76 A JOURNEY IN CHINA, and her husband again went on their knees, and begged me with tears to help them, “ Come what may/’ said I to myself, “ the chief cannot order me to be shot.” I asked for my box of surgical instruments, but the soldier who had charge of them had left ages ago. I ordered clean rags to be brought to me, oil-cloth and water, and with my penknife operated in the sight of an attentive audience. The operation succeeded admirably, and the patient was immediately relieved. Both she and her husband testified the most heartfelt gratitude, and the spectators lifted their fingers in token of approval, repeating “ Good doctor ! ” I must, however, own that I had felt rather nervous about operating before an ignorant and perhaps hostile crowd. I jumped on my horse, and heard at least ten voices begging for assistance. I could only exclaim that I had no time, but their groans went to my heart, and I left Pei-Fei-Sian sad and disconcerted. I entered a ravine, from whence flowed a river the name of which I was unable to ascertain; it passed between two ranges of mountains resembling pillars for the support of heaven. It was bordered by beautiful trees which shaded our path. Multitudes of birds warbled in the branches, others skimmed about on the water; but in the midst of all this charm of nature we came upon a sight which formed a striking contrast—from the branches of an ash-tree swung cages with human heads in them. I must own that the sight of these heads with their closed eyes did not discompose me in the least, and the Chinese viewed them with absolute indifference. A passer-by told us that two youngON THE HOAD BETWEEN PEI-FEI-SIAN AND TZING-TCHOOT7.78 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. men, scarcely twenty years of age, had set upon two merchants in broad daylight, and after robbing had assassinated them. Seized by the inhabitants, and unable to make their escape, they were given up to the police, condemned to death, and their heads exposed at the very place where the deed was committed. In the course of the evening I reached the village where the rest of the party had already installed themselves for the night. At the entrance an inquisitive crowd was kept at bay by Sosnowsky’s monkey much more effectually than by the police. Our quarters, which had been got ready beforehand, were large, comfortable, and clean ; and the supper sent by the Commandant of the town of Hoi-Sian, sixteen miles distant, comprised fifteen different dishes. May 26th. Nothing is more delightful than an expedition over mountains, but also nothing more fatiguing, especially to the porters; the soldiers only carry trifles, and can often rest in the inns by the wayside. I went into one of these inns to get some tea. The house was small, and faced the street. We were shown into a room provided with two or three tables and a few benches. At the back of the house were the kitchen, and a few private rooms for those who did not choose to mix with the public. A pan of water boiled on the fire, which an old man was keeping alight with a pair of bellows. The innkeeper, who was his own cook, was busy preparing the rations of vermicelli ordered by the soldiers, and accomplished this in the following manner:—Taking a bit of prepared paste, he rolled it into a strip on the table, and holding it at bothINNS. 79 ends, stretched it out like a ribbon to the full length of both arms ; then seizing it in the middle, he folded it in two, and stretched it out in the same way again and again; after a few minutes this had become vermicelli in his fingers. He struck it on the table, the threads separated, and the vermicelli was ready. He finally threw it into the pan of boiling water, whence another cook removed it with chopsticks in about two minutes, and filling the cups, added a bunch of herbs, a pinch of red pepper, and a small quantity of a red liquid with a bitter taste. The dish was like crawfish soup, and cost 12 sapeques. The soldiers, following the usual custom* first asked me to taste it, and then swallowed the boiling vermicelli without waiting for it to cool. I found it burnt my throat to such a degree and was so bitter that I could not swallow it. There was brown sugar on the table for those who liked to add it to their food. Proceeding on our way, we next came to the town of Hoi-Sian, situated in a valley, and surrounded by rice-fields and gardens. The soldiers, who had partially undressed for walking, now began to put their things on, that they might present a good appearance on entering the town. I met and bowed to a mandarin who was being carried in a palanquin, and shortly after met another mandarin riding, who dismounted the moment he saw me, and stood motionless. I could therefore do no less than follow his example, and beg him to get on his horse again. He then begged me to do the same, and after a struggle of mutual politeness, the Chinaman carried the day.8o A JOURNEY IN CHINA. The Russian flag waved over the entrance of a house, where a silent and respectful crowd had assembled. I entered the yard, where my companions had already settled themselves; several of the police and some natives were walking up and down, the latter giving an impression that they had come on business, and not out of mere curiosity. The governor (tchi-sian) and another mandarin called upon us; the dinner was sent in by the chief of the district in separate detachments for the two establishments, and I specially thanked him for this attention. I know not how the delicate attentions of these mandarins are generally acknowledged, but on this occasion a pheasant shot during the day was all that was sent. Perhaps the shipwreck at Loun-Tan had to answer for this. May 27th. One might really have imagined that an enemy pursued us, and that we were obliged to 'make forced marches. In the small hours we were roused with an order to start. If our zeal in accomplishing our geographical and commercial researches could have been known at St. Peters-burgh, our efforts ought to have been well rewarded. It seems that the Chinese were supposed to hinder our projects, and it had been announced that if we accomplished the expedition without misadventure, this in itself would be considered an important result obtained. For the first time in China I saw crackling biscuits sold, like those we make in Russia. I also noticed a most original ornament forming part of the head-dress of the women, and consisting of a little black boat made of horn, rather less than half a yard long, and fixed with big pins to the hair.VISIT TO THE AUTHORITIES. May 28th. We frequently came upon villages on the mountain-tops, surrounded with, walls and with all the appearance of fortresses. These erections were newly built in expectation of invasion; but the villages were very numerous in the plains, and as I was passing through one of them an old woman brought me a folded paper, which turned out to be a line left by our interpreter begging me to go to her son, who had been bitten five years before by a wolf, and the wound had never healed. I dismounted, and followed the woman to a house shaded by very old lime and pear-trees. The boy was brought to me, and I found he had an immense open sore on his cheek, which had probably been neglected. After giving him the necessary remedies, and explaining, to the best of my ability, how they were to be used, they saw me off with many thanks and tokens of respect. I next reached the village of Mou-Li-Tchen. A Chinaman, dressed in new clothes and in his best hat, came towards me, and without a word took my horse by the bridle and led me into a courtyard. To this I offered no resistance. Those around us maintained a respectful silence, and I only heard the words “ foreign doctor.” Matoussowsky was already established in the courtyard into which I was triumphantly led. As I dismounted I remarked to him that we were travelling like the knight-errants in the olden days ; everywhere on our journey kind folks offered us meat, drink, and lodging, as if by order of some beneficent fairy. This beneficent fairy was embodied in the local authorities and the inhabitants, who VOL. 11. G82 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. were warned beforehand to have either tea or breakfast ready. In this village the excise officer received us. Probably the expense was defrayed by the municipality, and certainly in the belief that the expenditure would be refunded. The breakfast was simple : eggs, new potatoes, and tea; but the great pull was in finding everything ready, and in not having to bother ourselves with searching for food. The inhabitants were thin, poor, and ragged. These poor, overworked, and miserable people were very unlike the well-dressed Chinese depicted on the tea-chests, vases, and other Chinese articles. The master of the house received a few trifles, and prostrated himself before us. On our saying a few kind words to him before we left, he quite put us to shame by throwing himself at our feet. It was only their custom, consecrated by centuries, and was merely their equivalent for shaking hands. In proportion as we advanced, the heights seemed more and more populated ; and these villages, perched at such an altitude, became the principal point of attraction to me. I only sought an opportunity to go up to them. May 2Qth. We passed through most picturesque spots, and through a forest full of insects and birds. A halt of a day in this place would have enabled me to make a varied and numerous collection almost without moving from one spot. Our journey might be compared to the stages prisoners travel in Russia, where they are forced to get over a given number of miles each day, or to the peregrinations of blind beggars; our existence and only amusement consisted inMOUNTAINS. 83 eating, sleeping, paying a few visits, and receiving a certain amount of attention. We went slowly on, and constantly came upon ruins in tbe valley and newly-built villages on tlie mountain-tops. We again saw two heads in cages ; one had been there some time, but the other had evidently been placed there quite recently, and was that of a man of about thirty. May 3Oth. The mountains began to diminish, and might now barely be called hills. We had left the mountain district. The character of the country had suddenly altered, and silence and solitude succeeded to the teeming valleys we greatly regretted having left behind us. The fields were now deserted; from time to time only we descried a man, rake in hand, or leading a cart drawn by oxen. The fields on the slopes were levelled into terraces, on the steeper slopes black holes might be seen, caverns which were merely the remains of a certain kind of habitation. In the villages the number of fruit-gardens without any walls attracted my attention. The traces of war were to be seen in the surrounding ruins. Often only half a village remained ; but on the other hand it was easy to see that the cemeteries had increased, as a great number of tombs of recent date had lately been added to the older graves. For instance, we came upon a big square wall such as generally surrounded the villages ; we entered the open gate ; not a house, not a creature; the grass covered everything; about ten tombs were all that we could see. Half the inhabitants were buried beneath the sod, the rest had retired into the mountains to build a new village.84 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. I went along slowly, accompanied by my ten soldiers, and towards evening reached the town of Tzing-Tchoou, where my fellow-travellers had already established themselves. The inhabitants hastened into the street to see another stranger, and screamed out “ He is coming ! he is coming !99 The street I went along was pretty of its kind, thanks to the trees and frontage of some of the temples. I was agreeably surprised by the cleanliness of our quarters. The walls were newly papered white, the rooms clean, the courtyard equally so, and covered moreover with a white awning to protect us from fhe sun ; the servants clean and anxious to please us, the dinner magnificent. Such were the attentions with which we were received. These favourable conditions made us incline to stop on in this town for a few days, and it was therefore decided that on the morrow we should pay our respects to the local authorities. Our visits were announced to take place at one o’clock, but, according to our usual practice, we were only able to accomplish four, and this wasted the whole afternooon for the rest of the mandarins. We were carried in five palanquins, dressed in full uniform, and accompanied by soldiers and various minor officials. Our first visit was to the dai-tao (the prefect or governor), who, after keeping us waiting a long time at the door, sent a message that he was not at home. It was evident that this was not true, and that he declined to receive us. After this well-deserved lesson in politeness we went to the tchi-sian (the chief of the district), who also kept us wait-TOWN OF TZING-TCHOOU 85 ing at his door, but finally came out to meet us in the courtyard, according to Chinese etiquette. He made us sit down, ENTRANCE TO A PRIVATE HOUSE, rJ ZING-TCHOOU. himself took the cups of tea from the tray, and after raising them over his head with both hands, gave one to each of us.86 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. After this he sat down and waited for us to open the conversation, The reader can guess that the shipwreck was our chief subject, but we also begged to be shown the house Confucius had occupied 500 b.c. He replied that it was in another town of the same name, in the province of How-Pe ; neither could he show us the tomb of the Emperor Fucius, which was scarcely surprising, as the latter had reigned three thousand years before our era. The mandarin, who was a clever man, thought it incumbent upon him to express surprise that strangers should know anything about Confucius, Fucius, or Fou-Si, but we still further surprised him by enumerating some of the dynasties which had reigned in China. He inquired what books we had read to know so much about his country, and Sosnowsky informed him that we had drawn our information from English, French, German, and Russian books. We afterwards called on the head of the local army. This poor General certainly bore us no malice for having-kept him waiting the whole day, as he received us immediately, The saying that one should never trust to appearances, was this time quite at fault. The General was so simple and ignorant that he even knew nothing of his profession. One of his aides-de-camp kept him from committing himself, and answered every question before he had time to speak. Sosnowsky asked, for instance, how many times a week Jus soldiers changed their' linen P The mandarin searched about for ah answer like a schoolboy who did not know his lesson, and when at last he did open his mouth his aide-de-camp had already replied.VISIT TO THE AUTHORITIES. 87 To the question “ How did the Li-Choun-Tau army fight against thé Mussulmans ?99 the aide-de-camp replied “ Da jen bon-tchi-dao 99 (the General does not know), and so on. I began to think that the General might perhaps be only a common soldier dressed up to personate the character for this occasion only, which I was told occurred every now and then in China. It appeared as if the aide-de-camp was there expressly to prevent the mandarin committing some great folly. We had hardly got back to our own quarters before the dao-tai came to return our visit at the exact hour appointed, thus giving us an example of punctuality and a lesson we might have profited by. He spent half-an-hour with us and heard the account of the shipwreck, which our interpreters must have known by heart, but which, nevertheless, caused endless discussions between them. Siuï having related that we had lost candles, sugar, and tobacco, Andre'iewsky at once exclaimed, “ No one asked you to relate what we lost ; you had merely to say that we had lost a great deal.’5 Completely out of countenance, Siuï then tried to mend matters by adding “We did not lose tobacco, sugar, and candles, but articles of great value.” I was curious to know what impression the mandarins took away with them from these interviews, and our tongue-tied position was so disagreeable to me that I was really thankful when these visits came to an end. As soon as the dao-tdi left us, I went into the town with Tan-Loe, and was surprised to see a woman on horseback and covered with a88 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. thifck black veil. Tbe Chinaman who led the horse by the bridle had on a full dress straw hat, conical in shape and adorned with a red tuft. Two roads led from Tzing-Tchoou to Lan-Tcheou-Fou, the one fit for carriages, and the other only fit for caravans or horsemen, but much shorter. Sosnowsky had at first decided to follow the former, giving as his reasons the necessity of investigating this road which merchants made so much use of. Also its natural history made it interesting that we should go westwards towards the frontier of Thibet, and to cart our baggage was preferable as a less expensive mode of transit. - The difference in time was only one day. Entirely of the same mind as our chief, we were delighted at the prospect of visiting a part of the country equally interesting and unknown. But subsequently, for no particular reason, the chief changed his mind ; asserted that it was no use to go to Houn-Tcheng-Fou, and that by taking this road we should have to cross the Ve'i-Ho, which might detain us some days owing to the floods and the recent rains. He had, moreover, calculated that the bridle-path would save us 20 roubles. He thought it necessary, however, to consult us before coming to any decision, and we strongly advocated the first plan. Matoussowsky even maintained from private information that the difference of cost was in favour of the first route. It was resolved to postpone the final decision until the following day. After dinner I went into town to draw some interesting subjects, and was surrounded by crowds. NotwithstandingBRUTALITY OF A POLICE AGENT. 89 my entreaties, the police whirled their clubs and struck out right and left. The noise and dust suffocated me ; the hideous noise was distracting, and this, added to the heat, made it impossible to work. I returned home and found that the carts were being loaded with our baggage. Just as we reached the porch, a clumsy and brutal police agent, in his efforts to drive off the Chinese, hit a passer-by on the head and smashed his spectacles, which broke on his face, but fortunately only hurt him slightly. The unlucky man seized the policeman by the wrist and would have dragged him to the ya-myn, had I not succeeded in re-establishing peace. After washing the wound I applied plaster, bandaged the eye, and in compensation for the broken spectacles offered him a Hang, a piece of money the value of which varies with every province and almost every town. The police agent, on the other hand, had to go without the present I usually gave all those who accompanied me.CHAPTER III. Departure from Tzing-Tchoou—We Visit a Village in the Mountains — Dwellings in Caves—Town of Fou-Tzieng-Sieh—Town of Nine-Youan-Sian—We are Exhibited at so much a head—Euins of Houn-Tcheng-Fou—Camp and Garrisons—“The Copper Button”—Arrival at Lan-Tcheou—Supply of Bread. Jane 23rd. Patting our baggage on carriages, we left Tzing-Tcboou by tbe high road, accompanied by a dense crowd ; the gates of the town were draped with flags in our honour. This town had not suffered from the war, but the neighbourhood was terribly devastated. All the villages we came across were burnt to the ground, the walls of the fruit-gardens destroyed, and the trees were nothing but withered trunks. No living soul was to be seen in these ruins. After several hours’ journey we passed through a village, and the soldiers drew my attention to its gates decorated with flags in our honour. Two Chinamen, in official hats, awaited us, and bending the knee, treated us with the highest deference. Farther on we were received by a group of armed inhabitants, one of them acting as standard-bearer. After the usual greetings, we were invited to rest and breakfast in a house prepared for our reception. Breakfast over, we were once more escorted to the gates, where the inhabitants again prostrated themselves and bade us farewell.WE VISIT A VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS. 91 Whilst my colleague was busy with his plans, I started on an expedition with my gun, and wounded an Ibis Nippon. It was a big bird, and my gun was loaded with shot. At the report, thousands of other birds, hidden in the branches of the trees, instead of flying away, perched on the lower branches, indignantly looking on and seeming to consult together how they could get rid of me. I remarked many blue magpies with black heads (Pica cyanea), starlings (Sturnus cineraceus), and turtle-doves (.Turtur Sinensis). A shot was evidently a novelty to them, as they showed no signs of fear. Very possibly they had never before seen a human being, for the wood was at a considérable distance from the road, and nothing remained of the nearest village but the crumbling walls, whence frescoes of the ancients seemed pensively to gaze upon this criminal act of destruction. I returned to my colleague and the village where our carriages and baggage had halted, and, Sosnowskv having gone off to shoot, I profited by the opportunity to visit one of the villages in the hills, a thing I had long wished to do. Following a steep path winding round a hill, Tan-Loe and I reached a gate in a wall, too low to admit of the entrance of our horses, and behind this wall another path led up to the village on the summit of the hill. Never had I seen such a picture of profound misery. The mud cabins were no better than stables, for the people shared them with their pigs and donkeys ; a pungent smell of smoke filled the streets. The village numbered one hundred and seventy inhabitants, including women and children. They were barely covered92 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. by their dirty rags, and lived on the produce of their fields in the valley below, visiting it every day to procure water. They were very shy, and at first hid themselves, but when Tan explained who I was and wherefore I came, they gained a little confidence, and three of them offered to show us what there was to be seen. The number of these wretched creatures had been sadly diminished by the war. In the village on the plain every house was preparing supper, and the streets were full of smoke, owing to the Chinese habit of leading the chimney through the side wall instead of the roof. Sosnowsky having returned, now gave orders to start, although it was late and the carriages had been delayed. The Chinese belonging to the next village showed rare foresight, and sent out ten men to meet us, carrying torches of dried grass, but as they had not been told we were going to spend the night there, they could only show us into a house full of smoke. The two little rooms were quite dark, and our baggage being still a long way off, we had to do without our bedding, candles, or tea, and to lie down as we were, without undressing. June Ath. We got up rather late, and our baggage had not arrived. One hour, two hours went by, and still no carriages. We greatly longed for tea, but had none with us. At last we got some from the inhabitants and some brown sugar, which one of our guides brought us in the handkerchief he used to roll round his head. After we had had our tea, I stuffed the birds Sosnowsky had shot the day before (Ibidorhyncha 8truthersii, ArdeaDEPARTURE FROM TZING-TCHOOU. 93 einerea, Ibis Nippon, Sterna hirundo, Himantopus Candidas)* Matoussowsky worked at his diary, and the chief went off again to shoot, but, anxious about the non-arrival of the carriages, and fearing some robbery or aggression, he retraced his steps with a Cossack and the interpreter. They soon met the caravan, and found that the delay was caused by all the carriages being overloaded. The mules could, in truth, hardly crawl along, and they did not all come in till six o’clock at night. The drivers now expected to rest their horses, and I was myself searching for a comfortable corner in the yard wherein to spend the night, when the interpreter came to say we were to start at once and that Sosnowsky would catch us up. The next stage being thirty-five versts (more than twenty miles), I could hardly believe my ears till Andreiewsky repeated his orders three times, and the Chinese threw themselves at our feet, begging for mercy, if not for themselves at least for their poor beasts. We were greatly moved by their tears and entreaties, but had not sufficient authority to delay the start. Seeing that their entreaties were of no avail, they explained that if they were forced to start immediately they would be still farther behind the next day, and that their mules would only fall by the wayside. These arguments were sound, but the chief was absent, and where were we to find him ? It would be a violation of discipline and a usurpation of the rights of others did we take upon ourselves to decide. We well knew what the result would be, but at length took the risk and remained where we were for the night.94 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. June 5th. We again got among the hills. A peculiar clay soil, called loess, possessing peculiar properties of its own, now predominated. The fields were in ridges, containing whole villages of subterranean dwellings, sometimes in two storys, but always arranged so that the upper story alternated with the lower. This mode of dwelling in caverns was very singular and uncommon. On nearing a mountain, we noticed horizontal or slight^ inclined parallel lines. These turned out to be artistically-constructed terraces covering the whole mountain, and strengthened by an embankment. One terrace succeeded another, and communicated by steps with those above and below it. We could see black holes in these perpendicular banks, looking in the distance like stoat-holes, but they proved to be the doors and windows of these subterranean dwellings. I was struck by the absence of human beings, and learnt that the enemy had not spared the inhabitants of these caves. Some of the habitations were being repaired as we passed by, and we were reminded of a swarm of ants reconstructing their ant-hills. Bricks were being made, new dens hollowed out, and the old mended up, pillars were in course of erection ; and amidst all this naked children played about or stood watching us pass, drumming their little fingers on their rosy lips, and knowing neither sorrow for the past nor care for the future. We seldom met anyone of much interest. I must, however, mention a rather pretty lady with bright black eyes and outrageously painted face. She was carried by four men, in a palanquin, and an individual, who was probably herSU HT F. RRANEAN DWELLINGS BETWEEN TI-DAO-TCHC OU ANI) LAN-TCHEOU,96 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. husband, walked by her side. On seeing us, they all stopped and stared for a long time. We were still at a distance of eight li from the town of Fou-Tzieng-Sien. About this period I had a narrow escape of putting an end to my journey and to my existence by very nearly falling into a deep ravine. I was uprooting a plant at the edge of a precipice, when I suddenly felt the earth give way under me. Happily my companions were able to seize me by the arm. “ Mine hour is not yet come/’ thought I, greatly horrified by the hollow sound of the earth falling to the bottom of the ravine, as I myself had so nearly done. The soldiers were quite as alarmed as I was; they thought of it long after the accident, and ever after when I went to gather a plant two of the faithful creatures would accompany me, holding on to my arm or my clothes even when there was not the slightest danger. The road became more and more frequented, and we constantly met pedestrians, beasts of burden, and horses, Along the road women were selling a son of sour thick soup, which the drivers ate with wheaten rolls hnd seemed to appreciate, but I myself felt too uncertain of its cleanliness to taste it. From the top of a hill we saw a great plain surrounded on three sides by mountains covered with yews, long straight poplars, mulberrry-trees, thuyas, elms, and a considerable number of ruined villages. We soon reached the walls and towers of the town of Fou-Tzieng-Sien with its crowds of houses and rough, noisy people. Triumphal arches, pretty towers, temples, houses; stuffs of various colours were hung about some dye-works as flags97 TOWN OF FOU-TZIENG-SIEN. would be on a great holiday in a European town. All was picturesque and attractive. Fou-Tzieng-Sien, which had not been molested by the civil war, appeared one of the prettiest towns in China, and I should gladly have spent a day there, but Sosnowsky, who had already rested and breakfasted, was just starting as we arrived, and begged us not to delay, as we must travel another fifty-one li that day, so we had to obey. We received the hospitality of the town in a house adorned with stuffs and lanterns; the rooms were richly decorated, all the furniture and the hang covered with red cloth embroidered with silk, and the walls decorated with pictures. Mandarins and soldiers in full uniform were stationed in the large clean courtyard. After a halt of barely half-an-hour we started off again. I met two Chinese ladies on horseback, very well dressed and covered with a -thick black veil. The women of the poorer classes walked along the streets with their heads uncovered; there were however very few of these, and a crowd composed entirely of men accompanied me out of the town. In the neighbourhood of Fou-Tzieng -Siefi there is a most interesting temple, Fou-Ye-Miao, with an enormous bronze statue of Buddha placed very high in a cleft on the mountain. Two hours would have sufficed to get there, but we had to content ourselves with looking at it through a telescope. In the plain the villages rapidly succeeded each other, and were mostly of recent date, so surrounded by fields and trees that the valley had all the appearance of a big garden. Among the numerous birds were pigeons, turtle-doves, phea- VOL. II. H98 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. sants, starlings, blue magpies, and peewits. To the north-east the hills were cultivated, but in the opposite direction they were of red sandstone, devoid of vegetation, and looking like round towers of gigantic dimensions. After walking over the dried-up bed of a canal with high embankments, we climbed a hill whence we perceived a tributary of the Yellow River, the silvery You-Fo. The recent rains had so increased its volume that it was impossible to cross it, and we were obliged to go round another way. . The path zigzagged and sometimes skirted a precipice, but these mountains were scarcely more than hills, and cultivated up to the top. The road was crowded with pedestrians, porters, women on horseback, caravans, and beasts of burden. I killed several partridges of a large species (Caccabis magna) first described by M. Prjewalsky. Behind the hills the scene changed. At their base a vast tent of verdure spread out below the masses of red sandstone, farms lay in groups of three and four, and rice-fields hidden beneath sheets of water reflected the surroundings as in a mirror ; half-naked villagers in straw hats worked together in the gardens ; some dug pits round trees planted in large earthenware pots, while others drove a wheel along the fields, forming a rut to facilitate the drainage. This was the lower part of the village of San-Schi-Li-Pow ; the rest of it was situated at a certain distance up the mountain, and devoid of trees or verdure. Its sad-coloured huts had nothing in common with the lower half. Night had overtaken us, but the full moon lit up this beautiful silent valley, and my thoughts dwelt on the devastations of this recent andJOURNEY TO NINE-YOUAN-SIAN. 99 barbarous war. . I seemed to conjure up those ferocious faces, the terror-stricken inhabitants, disarmed in the midst of the conflagration, and seeking safety in flight, and the farewells of mothers and children, husbands and wives. Eyewitnesses relate that hunger forced these wretched creatures to eat the dead bodies ! These events were quite recent. How many inhabitants of this beautiful plain had obtained eternal rest, how many homesteads had been left desolate ! June 6th. The same road across the plain, with its villages temples, woods, and gardens. The crops splendid, especially the hemp. I entered the village of Lao-Myn, where a compact, noisy crowd had assembled near a temple in the public place, and a theatrical representation was going on. ‘ As I had to get through this crowd, my protectors made it their business to disperse it, and thumping some with their pigtails, spitting in the faces of others, or kicking their way along, they succeeded in forcing a passage so quickly that the Chinese, being occupied with the play, had no time to notice that a stranger was amongst them, and I had already left the square and reached a side street before my arrival was noised abroad. Every one then ran in pursuit of me, but the soldiers wheeled suddenly round, vigorously applied their clubs, and caused the tumultuous crowds to retire precipitately. In consequence of this sudden change of front many fell and were nearly crushed to death. Such scenes were most disagreeable to me. I always expected an explosion of anger or vengeance against myself as the indirect cause of these blows and accidents ; but nothing100 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. alarming happened, and the crowd, instead of resenting this treatment, went into fits of laughter, and with cries of encouragement urged on the military to strike out right and left. Presently the soldiers asked leave to go and dine at an inn, and I took refuge in a shop from the sun’s rays. Not one single native came to laugh at the stranger, although many faces expressed astonishment, fear, and curiosity. When the soldiers returned I went on, and met none but women in the streets. They looked thin and ill, and sat working on little benches at their doors, and I fancied that I now for the first time noticed them knitting socks, hut I may have been mistaken, as generally the same linen stockings are worn in China, shaped to the foot and sewn together, as in the Russian hospitals. Other women sold food, and I noticed little tables with bread and money left quite unguarded in the owner’s absence, theft being very rare. I caught up and subsequently passed the baggage train. The horses and mules were perfectly exhausted, for they were dragging much too heavy loads and were allowed no rest. I then reached Nine-Youan-Sian. Nothing remained of the suburbs of this town except an unshapely tower of solid masonry. My companions were in the midst of a conversation with the chief of the district, a middle-aged, brighUeyed man. He was a great talker, had no affectation, and did not in the least resemble the Chinese type. He was seated opposite our chief with the interpreters beside him, as well as another minor official, who scratched himself unmercifully throughout the interview. As these conversations had little interest for me, I went off to stuffEXHIBITED AT SO MUCH A HEAD. ioi various birds that had been shot during the day (Erythropus amurensis, Turtur viticolis, Sturnus dauricus, Milvus melanotis). When the mandarin had departed, the cold remains of the dinner were brought to me, and after eating them I lay down to sleep for the third night without undressing. June 7 th. From early dawn every one was astir. Every now and then some ten Chinese at a time would come into the courtyard and have a good stare at us, and I was informed later on that the porter of the house had organised an exhibition, and for a certain sum permitted his countrymen to come into the courtyard in these small detachments. From the highest point of the road winding over the mountains we could see the plain watered by the You-Ho, and eight villages levelled to the ground ; each had square earthen ramparts, like a citadel, with towers, not built on the ramparts, but projecting from them like brackets. These little forts had been built by those who had survived the civil war or by immigrants. On reaching the plain we first crossed the You-Ho, and then the Nan-Ho, a rapid but not very deep river, as the water did not reach our horses’ knees. The plain became unfrequented and quite solitary ; the fields were replaced by vast expanses of short grass and small shrubs of Iris teetorum, the flexible and tender leaves of which are used by the Chinese to plait solid shoes with, such as are used by the poorer classes. The clay soil was broken by horizontal layers of shingle, at first sight easily mistaken for ancient walls. The habitations were built of unbaked brick or of clay. We again crossed the You-Ho. Its left bank followed102 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. the base of mountains with singularly distinct geological markings, the horizontal strata taking an outline of forty-five degrees. At night we halted in a village where a supper had been sent us from IIoun-Tcheng-Fou, a town we were to reach the following day. June 8th. We arrived amidst storm and rain at Houn-Tcheng-Fou, its enormous tower having been visible from a great distance. The brick wall of this town is of immense thickness; the projection at the gate supports a magnificent tower, and its exterior aspect led us to expect a beautiful city, populous and full of life, but we soon found out our mistake. We entered upon an enormous silent square, a mass of ruins, here and there some miserable huts and isolated vestiges of walls, gates, and towers. The spectacle of this devastation, and the bad weather combined, was most depressing. The splendour and importance of this dead city could never be revived ; and yet the patient tenacity of the Chinese is capable of attaining almost anything. Our quarters were prepared in a public building where young people passed their diploma examinations. This edifice occupied a considerable area, and comprised numbers of apartments around the courtyard. The first courtyard was empty, and in it were assembled our baggage-carts. In the second, on each side of a tiled pathway, there were several rows of benches, covered like those to be seen in Lutheran churches. As I entered the first two soldiers took my horse by the bridle, made it climb the three steps leading into the second court, and go through the doors separat-RUINS OF HOUN-TCHENG-FOU. 103 ing the second from the third. In the fourth they begged me to get down and see the three large airy rooms prepared for us. During dinner Sosnowsky began discussing what presents we should make to the local authorities. Having nothing fit to give, he proposed sending them from three to five roubles apiece, and asked our opinion on the subject. We feared, however, that this would hurt their feelings, especially as the sum was so small. At last we agreed upon sending an offering of 60,000 sapeques for the poor of the town (£8 6s. 8d.), and Sosnowsky proposed giving the pagoda a share, as being equally a house of God! June §th. I hoped that we should have been allowed time to inform ourselves a little about what had taken place at Houn-Tcheng during the war, but we were obliged to start off again that very day. There was only time to load the horses and mules. As little as possible was paid for the latter; no easy matter in a district almost devoid of animals. Those who possessed any were greatly averse to lending them, fearing they should be over fatigued, or, worse still, lost. Bargaining and much impatience with the Chinese authorities was thus entailed. They were specified as “ idlers of the first water, only fit for eating and opium-smoking.” At last we were ready to depart. The unfortunate town saw us off with all the honours; flags waved on the gates, military music resounded from the walls, and about thirty armed soldiers were drawn up to do honour to our exit. A solitary road across the deserted plain, planted withi04 A JOURNEY IN CHINA, trees and shrubs, but covered with fallen trunks, from which, sprouted fresh offshoots. For fourteen days we had walked through heaps of abandoned ruins. The few inhabitants seemed most wretched. With the exception of a few strips of land producing wheat and peas, sown by the soldiers of the local garrison, the fields remained uncultivated. A considerable number of these garrisons were stationed in small forts along the road, to preserve the country from a fresh Mussulman invasion. The commandants of the garrisons were forewarned of our arrival, and came forth with music and flags to meet us. A dinner was prepared for us towards the middle of the day’s journey, and we made acquaintance with an officer of the name of Lin, who spoke with enthusiasm of Han-Keou, where he had formerly lived. He rejoiced in having known Europeans, and groaned over the dull, monotonous existence he now led, sighing at the small feet of the ladies. He expressed a hope that we should meet again some day at Han-Keou, which I heartily reciprocated, now that I knew the Chinese to be a gentle and hospitable people. At nightfall we reached a fortified camp, where we were received with the same ceremony. Two generals, four officers, with soldiers and inhabitants, came with lanterns to meet and conduct us to the fortified camp on the mountainside. June 10th. Wonderful to relate, we were not forced to hurry off in the morning, and thus got through some work. At every moment soldiers came to look at us; they approached without ceremony, and although they kept quiet,RUINS OF HOUN-TCHENG-FOU. 105 breathed in our ears in the most offensive manner, and incessantly scratched themselves. Towards midday the order went forth for our start. We had the charming prospect of a stage of eighty li, and an additional fifteen if time permitted. A whole detachment of soldiers accompanied our chief. We stopped for the night in what had apparently been a stable. , Thanks to Tan-Loe, I arranged a comfortable bed under a penthouse, by taking a door off its hinges and putting it across some benches. We then settled our mattresses upon it, and the few inhabitants of the village were lost in admiration of our ingenuity. They stopped to talk and examine our blankets, sheets, and pillows, even after we had got into our impromptu beds, and carefully scrutinised our boots, awarding great praise to everything. They only took themselves off when I finally put out the candle and wished them goodnight as a gentle hint that it was time to go. June 11th. We rose with the lark, hastily drank a cup of tea, and followed our chief, who, in his usual fashion, had started at a fast trot, forcing the unfortunate soldiers to run if they would keep pace with him. The heat was overpowering, and to protect themselves from the sun our soldiers made themselves garlands of yew. The road was quite unfrequented; we did not even see any ruins, and probably the country was quite as thinly populated before the war. Amongst the birds I observed the Fregilus graculusy with 1 a red beak like a pheasant’s. The heat had brought on a storm; but we reached anio6 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. isolated house just in time to take shelter. It was the picture of misery : the animals and their masters all lived together; sucking-pigs and hens wandered unheeded about the rooms. The master of the house was none the less delighted to see us. He had heard that I was a doctor, and his wife was j ust then suffering from her eyes, the cause being the smoke, which as usual filled the house. As this disease is common all over China (chronic blephanitis) I had all the necessary remedies at hand. Their child was just recovering from small-pox. The shower over, we started for the town of Ti-Dao-Tchoou, the centre of the Mussulman insurrection during the war. We were shown the wall of their fortified camp, and beside it the Mussulman cemetery, with tombs like pyramids or little chapels. The wall was well preserved, but had not availed to protect the town, now in ruins, although in course of reconstruction. A temple gave us shelter. June 12th. To-day’s stage was not as dreary as that of yesterday; around us were beautiful meadows, wheat and barley-fields and rebuilt villages. The inhabitants seemed less sickly and wretched than those we had come across during the last few days, although many were marked with small-pox, principally the women. We were very tired, especially the soldiers of our escort, after a whole day’s march. They were small and thin, and spoke a dialect of their own it was impossible to understand, whereas I was now able as a rule to carry on conversation with the other Chinese. Night had overtaken us and we had lost our way, but a Chinaman kindly put us on the right road again.THE COPPER BUTTON. 107 At last we reached a camp where the night was to be spent. My colleagues were there already, and I went to find Matoussowsky, who was installed in the little room we were to share together. It was a regular passage; the soldiers did not scruple to use it as such. In the neighbouring room they smoked opium and shouted at the pitch of their yoices, treating us with no sort of deference, as they doubtless imagined we were the servants of the great “ lords” who were much more advantageously housed. We found our chief in a fury, and heard that the Governor-General of Lan-Tcheou had sent us two mandarins. “They actually did not come to meet me,” said he, “ when I entered the camp, and one of them, who had only a copper button on his hat, and was therefore a subaltern, was most haughty and arrogant. He spoke loud, boasted of his relationship to the Governor-General, smoked his pipe, and took the liberty of addressing me as ‘ thou/ This copper button came here into my room,” related our chief, “ with another man, and pointing at me with his finger asked if I were * Sosnowsky P 5 He then without further invitation took the principal seat and opened the conversation. He informed me that the Governor-General had charged him to let me know that we should all be housed by the Government at Lan-Tcheou, and that he was to ask whether we preferred this to an hotel. I replied that I left it entirely in the hands of the Governor, and he in the rudest way replied, ‘Say where thou wilt lodge/ I again repeated that it was as the Governor-General should decide, but he only reiterated his question.”io8 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. The conduct of this subaltern did indeed seem odd, as did his questions, after all the ceremony we were usually treated to. It was an enigma, and we asked permission from the chief to make acquaintance with these mandarins. He assented, and told the interpreter to say that as the Governor had sent them to meet us, they might possibly be interested in seeing his colleagues and might as well pay them a visit. The conversation centred during the whole of supper upon the curious conduct of the “ copper button,” and we afterwards returned to our own quarters to await the mandarins' visit. Being uncertain whether they would come or not, we undressed and went to bed. A quarter of an hour after, a soldier came with their cards and asked if we could receive the mandarins. We had no wish to get up and dress again, so made an apology and deferred the visit till the next day. We might just as well have received them and had a little talk, for we never closed our eyes all night owing to the going and coming of the soldiers, who had no consideration for those they merely imagined to be their fellow-soldiers. June 13 th. We left the camp hastily, and had no time to make acquaintance with the “ copper button.” A dreary road across a hilly country, inhabited by a sparse and poverty-stricken population. We again saw two cages with criminals' heads in them. On descending the hills the scene suddenly changed, and we came on the beautiful vegetation of the valley of the Yellow River. The now more numerous population mostly inhabited caves dug where the soil was perpendicular, either down in the ravines or at a certainJOURNEY TO LAN-TCHEOU. 109 height up the hills. It was quite a subterranean world, living its own life in families or societies. June 14th. To-day we were due at Lan-Tcheou-Fou, a large and handsome city, capital of the province of Kah-Sou. A grey sky and fine rain were no inducement to start early, especially as the distance from Lan-Tcheou was not great. However, the chief seemed almost in a greater hurry than usual, and departed the moment he had swallowed his breakfast. I staid behind with Matoussowsky to complete our various occupations, and we only started at two in the afternoon. * .We found time to visit several of the subterranean dwellings abounding on every side, and got sonie idea of the occupants’ mode of life. We first passed into a small court surrounded by a clay wall where hay and wood was stored, and where domestic animals were also housed. Some of these courts were planted with trees; tables, benches, stoyes, and mangers were hollowed out in the soil. The dwelling had one large hole which represented the door, another small hole acted as a window, and others still smaller served the purpose of chimneys. A fairly well-lit room led into a second. If the rooms followed the external line of the hill they were fairly light, but if they went into the interior they were only lit by the door. They were unfurnished, with the exception of a few cooking or household utensils. The kang aud the table were cut out of the soil, the latter invariably near the window to catch all the light. Another characteristic of these dwellings was the stove, likewise formed in the soil. Sometimes they had cupboards andIIO A JOURNEY IN CHINA. shelves in the walls, and one house had even a manger for a donkey. In others pits were hollowed out for the calves, pigs, and hens, but the more commodious had separate arrangements for their animals, and generally a separate entrance. When this was not the case the animals went through the rooms inhabited by their masters. Some dwellings were excavated two or three yards above the level of the soil, and had a staircase leading up to a landing sheltered by a porch. The steps were paved to prevent their wearing away. Thus it may be seen that these habitations required no material, unless it were the wood for a door and the framework for a window. They were cool in summer and warm in winter, and I noticed no sign& of damp. The inhabitants seemed to enjoy good health, and the air was purer than in most of their houses, usually darkened as these are by thick smoke. Without question experience has proved the superiority of these abodes, for certain travellers assert that thousands of men inhabit them, principally in the plains of the Yellow River. The population of this part of the country had however been exterminated to an alarming degree. I saw whole villages» of these dwellings absolutely deserted. The road to Lan-Tcheou went through a ravine between two rows of mountains, and had all the appearance of having been artificially cut out. It is a peculiarity of the soil called loess that it cuts in a vertical direction without any difficulty, but offers the greatest resistance to being cut horizontally, and owing to this fact we constantly came across natural arches and columns. Aqueducts for the irrigation of the fields above,ARRIVAL AT LAN-TCHEOU. in spanned the ravines so far over our heads that we could barely see them from the bottom of the ravines. The country gradually resumed its frequented aspect; villages, pedestrians, carriages, caravans succeeded each other. I noticed mules carrying long thick beams in a very original way: across the little saddle a double rope with two knots was introduced on each side, and the beams were passed through the knots. The mule was thus as it were between two shafts, and carried its weight quite easily. The ravine became wider and wider, and the roofs of suburban temples peeped out here and there on the slopes of the mountains. Amongst the thick foliage of the gardens, we now reached the wall of Lan-Tcheou, against the mountain on one side, and on the other lost in the ravine. Whilst Matoussowsky took plans, I entered a street in the suburbs, and at once heard cries of “ Yan-jen ! yan-jen ! ” which brought the whole population running out of their shops to see me. My companion soon rejoined me with his suite, and we went on through picturesque and animated streets, especially grateful to the eye after the ruins we had of late been accustomed to. Once more we were among beautiful temples with their artistically worked cornices, triumphal arches, lattices, &c. I was quite rejoiced to be again amidst the noisy crowd. We got into the centre of the town, and on the wall saw five heads hanging in cages. They were insurgent Doun-gauns, whose recent execution testified to the severity of the Chinese law. No one seemed to pay any heed to them. We112 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. created the utmost excitement as we went by. The inhabitants had evidently never seen any foreigners before. I watched the crowd with much interest, pushing, shoving, knocking each other down to get a glimpse of us. Once seen such sights can never be forgotten. My first impression of this rich and populous town was tolerably favourable, and reminded me of Pekin in its best quarters. A detachment of cavalry came to meet us, and wheeling to the left preceded us as guides to our alloted abode. We were still uncertain whether this was to be in a private house or in a public building ; but when we turned down a side street, the crowd did not venture to follow us, as we were to go to the residence of the Governor-General. On reaching a gateway, we got into a large clean courtyard. In a second court the soldiers took the bridles of our horses and led them to the door of a third, where we dismounted. A room divided by a partition was given to Matoussowsky and me, and a large hall was set apart as common sitting-room for the members of the expedition. The furniture was of the simplest—rough wooden bedsteads, two old tables, two stools with cushions. The walls were black and the floors tiled ; the window filled in with paper I immediately tore down, and then looked out on a little yard where water was boiling on a stove, two elms and a high wall shutting out the view. One of the Cossacks came to tell us that the chief had most unwillingly been forced to go that very day to the Governor-General, wTho had insisted on seeing him at once. This seemed strange, for knowing the Chinese customs, weTHE QUARTERS OF THE EXPEDITION AT LAN-TCHEO.U ,1 p i/iA JOURNEY IN CHINA. 114 should have expected him to come and see us first, instead of requiring us to go to him before we had well dismounted. The Cossack added, “ It is true that the chiefs uniform was quite ready to put on.” But knowing the self-importance of our chief and his habit of keeping people waiting for him, even when a visitor had been announced, this fact as to the uniform was insignificant. In an hour Sosnowsky returned; we had not seen him in such good humour for a long time. He confirmed the statement that the Governor had insisted on his going at once to him, and added “ That he was awaiting us with impatience ; that he was an excellent old man, very clever and well educated, and what was better still, a good man of business.” “ He is not a man of many words,” added the chief, “but goes straight to the point, and I thus have been able at once to settle matters. He is a first-rate old man ; we ought to have more like him at the frontier. When I arrived we spoke of various things, and he then quite abruptly said, 4 You are our neighbours and old friends; give us then proofs of your amity and supply us with bread for our army ; for although we have plenty, it is impossible to convey it to this distance, whereas the transport would cost you almost nothing. As to the price, we are willing to pay you anything you like ; we have the money, but money alone will not feed soldiers/ ” “ ‘We are in a position to supply you with bread, but it will cost you a great deal. Will you take it for 30 roubles (£4 15s.) the tchetvert?” (a Russian measure equivalent toSUPPLY OF BREAD. llS about half a bushel). Upon which he replied that he would. So here was the affair concluded. I agreed to supply him with twenty-five thousand tchetverts at 30 roubles apiece ; so you see what a good thing I have made of it/ ” [Now I had never been able to understand commercial matters, and therefore never interfered with them, but this time I ventured to join in the conversation. “ And are you not afraid,” said I, “ to undertake this ? What will happen if you find no means of transport, or the corn to be too expensive P ” “ It is precisely because bread is dear that I settled the price at 30 roubles. There is so much in our district of Semipalatinsk that we do not know how to get rid of it, arid there is no lack of transport; I have only to send word to the Kirghiz and I shall have as many camels as I can use.” The chief got quite animated talking of the Kirghiz and Semipalatinsk, and told us what influence he possessed over the tribes of that district. Matoussowsky interrupted him, however, saying, “ I admit that an immense profit may be made out of this transaction; but on the whole, from a political point of view, it is not for us to supply them with bread. At present, thank God, our frontier is at peace, and the Chinese and Mussulmans have ceased to pillage and massacre each other. Furnish them with food, and they will bring their armies here ; the war will recommence, and the Kashgar and Kouldja questions will be again revived. Refrain from bringing this about, both in the interests of humanity and our own. Mark my words, this bread will cause fresh bloodshed.”n6 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. “ What are you talking about ?” replied Sosnowsky. “I am quite familiar with affairs on the frontier. Do I not command at Seinipalatinsk ? Allow me to know best about State interests. This very thing will promote commerce by this route. Once our caravans have gone over it, the road will be opened out.” “For bread, yes ; and that only as long as there shall be a demand for it. But once their own corn is sown, they will not continue to take yours, especially at that price. If you think it over, you will see that it is not at all to our advantage. I quite agree that there will be profit, but the State interests do not consist in enriching two or three merchants. You will do well to abandop the transaction; to refuse it on some pretext or other, or only to promise on certain condi tions.” Sosnowsky would not give in, and closed the discussion by saying that Matoussowsky had no experience in business, that he knew nothing of our political and commercial relations with China, and finally that they were quite beyond his comprehension. He then proceeded to read us letters received from Pekin, announcing the sad fate of Colonel Brown’s English expedition, and the assassination of Consul Margery, whose head had been exhibited in a cage. This news was by no means cheering, especially to our chief, who had the “moral responsibility of all the members of the expedition.”CHAPTER IV. First Visit to Tzo-Tzoun-Tan—Yellow River and its Bridge — Water Elevator—Tzo and the Children—Official Dinner at Tzo’s Houso— Punishment of a Soldier—Supper with the Governor-General—Review —Dead Body in the Street—Visit to the Prison—An ex-Governor in Chains-^Instruments of Torture—Contract for Bread—Portrait of Tzo —His Presents, Last Visit, and Farewell Dinner—Departure. June 15th. To-day we were presented to Tzo-Tzoun-Tan, one of the six officials of the highest rank in China. We were all in full uniform, even the Cossacks. As the Govern or-General inhabited the same house, we had only to go through a few courts to reach a clear space with a sort of stand in the middle, like those used for the band in garden concerts. This was, however, used for quite a different purpose, as it was here that Tzo presided over legal cases. Its only furniture was a table with a red cover, several chairs, and a casket, with the imperial seal placed on a red pedestal. Hence we were ushered by two mandarins through a door to the left into the reception-room. This room was long and narrow, and furnished with a few chairs, separated by little tables ; the seat of honour was a hang, placed at the end of the room. Inscriptions and drawings of ancient monuments decorated the walls. Tzo-Tzoun-Tan not only failed to come to meet us, as his colleague, Li-Da-Tchen, governor of the province of Hou-P£118 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. and Hou-Nan, liad done, but be kept us a long time waiting for bim. Tbis was tbe more noticeable from tbe fact that our chief bad called upon bim as soon as be arrived tbe nigbt before. At length tbe mandarins posted at the door put themselves into respectful attitudes, and whispered that he was coming. Our chief bad also posted us, according to our rank, in a line opposite the door, which shortly admitted the governor, followed by about twelve mandarins in uniforms, he himself only wearing the official hat. He was small and stout, and could not he more than sixty. His countenance reminded me somewhat of that of Prince Bismarck, except that he was dark. He had barely three hairs in his beard, but his moustache was rather thicker. His movements were full of affectation, and perhaps intended to produce a strong impression. I fear that in this he did not succeed. He gave a kind of general and almost imperceptible salute on entering, and then stopped short, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, but he said nothing, advanced another step, and then stopped short to look at us. One of the mandarins gave him the list of visitors, which he took very deliberately and read at arm’s-length, much as an old man would do. He pronounced our chief’s name, and pointed to him as if to make certain that he knew him by sight; then he pronounced the next name, looking up at each person as he said it, and so on. He eyed us all, as if he had to make some selection from among us. Then he began trying to learn our names-by heart, which was not easy, and he got very confused with So, Pia, An, &c. We were standing all this time, and when he had done examin-FIRST VISIT TO TZO-TZOUN-TAN, 119 ing me, I said to my colleagues, “Well, gentlemen, we may as well sit down, as there seems no intention of asking us to do so.” Without understanding my words Tzo grasped their general meaning, moved away from the door, and begged us to pass on, following us slowly and stopping at each step to compare us one with the other. How absurd we must have appeared in this comedy ! Why this curious reception and behaviour ? It is possible that he took us for persons of no note, compared to his high rank, for the Chinese, being very ignorant of strangers and their habits, can form no opinion as to the social status of those with whom they come in contact. It seemed to me that he was very much at a loss to know whether he should ask us all to sit down, or only ask Sosnowsky to do so. He continued scanning us silently and gravely, sometimes smiling with no apparent reason; and this scene, in which the sole actor was Tzo-Tzoun-Tan, lasted quite ten minutes. To put an end to such a painful situation I took the initiative and sat down, begging my colleagues to do the same, that the General might see that we were not servants in the suite, but persons of a certain rank. This loosened his tongue, and he immediately begged us to be seated, and lastly sat down himself, and offered us tea. He opened the conversation by saying that he knew the dissimilarities between the Chinese and strangers, as shown, for instance, in our different ways of reading and writing; he seemed to wish to describe these by pointing along an imaginary book, and saying, “ Tou-tou, tou-tou-tou ! Tou-tou, tou-tou-tou !” He asked us if we knew Chinese, and on hearing that some120 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. of us had learnt a little, he smiled, and good-naturedly put us through an examination. The visit was of considerable length, and we gathered that Tzo wished to make further acquaintance with us before letting us go. He examined our uniforms, taking great interest in the details, and asked Sosnowsky why I had large bullion on my epaulettes whilst he had none ? Sosnowsky explained that it denoted a different branch of the service. And to think that I had always hitherto imagined that large bullion indicated a superior grade, and not a separate branch of the service ! judging by precedent, we nowr expected Tzo to return our visit; but we waited in vain for any official visit. In the evening, however, after his walk, Tzo came to see us with his suite, but quite unceremoniously. This we considered a want of civility, but tried to overlook.it on account of his age. He spent half an hour with us, and expressed great astonishment that we had neglected to see the town of Si-An-Fou, the ancient capital of China, so near our route, and so well worth a visit, both from a commercial and historical point of view. The whole time he was with us his suite remained standing behind his chair, and appeared to listen attentively to everything he said. When he got up they gave him his gold-headed cane, and he took his leave, promising to come and spend the evening with us. Two mandarins of the suite supported him under the arms whilst he went down the staircase, tapping the stairs with his stick as he went along. Two soldiers awaited him below, with white silk lanterns ornamented with red letters describing his dignities.FIRST VISIT TO TZO-TZOUN-TAN. 121 We accompanied him to the outer door of the first court, where, after many civilities, we took final leave of him* From the little we could understand of his conversation it was easy to remark that Tzo was a man of intelligence, and well educated for a Chinese. He must have been eloquent and persuasive, to judge by the play of his countenance and his gestures. There, was, however, a difference of opinion among us about him ; some maintained that he was thoroughly good-natured, and others that we must be careful not to offend him. June 16th. The day was spent in visits to the local authorities, without my being able to find out exactly who these personages were. We started off on horseback through the streets of Lan-Tcheou, to the great satisfaction of the inhabitants, who could contemplate us to their hearts’ content. The Chinese run, jumped, laughed, and screamed like maniacs; the crush and the dust were indescribable. Of all the six mandarins we called upon, only one received us. The servants of all the other ya-min prostrated themselves before us with many genuflections, explaining either that their “ great lord99 was ill or absent. I have no idea how much faith was to be placed in these statements; it certainly was not likely that they were all absent or ill on the same day, as they had been forewarned of our visit. We had never hitherto been received in this unpleasant and incomprehensible manner. The days slipped by without any cares. Our apartments were delightfully clean. Dinner and supper were punctually served; we had a large staff at our disposal, and plenty of122 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. leisure. Lan-Tcheou being a big town, it was somewhat difficult to find the way about. I had noted a pagoda situated on a hill, whence a good bird’s-eye view could be obtained. So, accompanied by Tan-Loe and a soldier as guide, I rode towards the northern gate facing a bridge formed by twenty-four boats, and thrown across the Yellow River. Lan-Tcheou is situated on the right bank of the Houang - Ho, renowned for its inundations, and at this spot about a mile and a quarter wide. The distance from Lan-Tcheou to its mouth is 3,106 miles. Its waters are not yellow, as its name might lead one to suppose, but very muddy and clay-coloured, through the quantity of earth it carries away. It is easy to see the force of the stream by looking at the bridge, as it is not straight, but forms a zigzag in the shape of the letter S. The boats on which it is constructed, not being held in their place by anchors, are pushed on by the force of the stream. These boats are fastened together by two strong chains and fourteen ropes, each about a quarter of a yard in thickness, mostly made from the fibres of the Chamcerops palm. The extremities of the chains and cables are fastened on either bank to slanting stone pillars deeply embedded in the earth. I cannot imagine why the Chinese do not use anchors to fix their bridges. Owing to the continuous movement of the pontoons, no solid resting-place can be obtained, and the Lan-Tcheou Bridge is simply horrible. Although by no means nervous, I did not like crossing it at all. Beams and planks were thrown from one boat to the other, and as we crossed them they went up and down like the notes of aYELLOW RIVER AND ITS BRIDGE. 123 pianoforte. I had to watch that my horse did not put its leg into a hole at every step. A continual swaying back- wards and forwards was produced as much by the load of men, horses, and carriages as by the stream. The Chinese BRIDGE ON THE YELLOW RIYEE, AT LAN-TCHEOU.124 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. managed very well, but I momentarily expected a bath, in the Houang-Ho. An English company had offered to build a stone bridge, but as fourteen or sixteen million roubles was the price asked, the tender was not accepted »by the Chinese Government. We began climbing the tortuous and steep paths up the left bank, and passed one temple after another. Several were scattered about on the hillside without any regular plan. A violent gale and considerable fatigue prevented my reaching the pagoda on the summit, but from the spot I did reach I had a good view of the winding river, the valley, and surrounding mountains, several luxuriantly planted islands, the wall dividing the town into two parts, arches and temples with their green, yellow, or blue roofs, and a mass of houses, temple gardens, and public edifices. The country around had been devastated by the enemy, but the whole formed an attractive and interesting picture. After taking a sketch of the general effect, I returned across the bridge, and was going along the wall to the water elevator when my horse shied at a most curious object. It was a sort of bladder made of the entire skin of an ox, filled to its utmost capacity with air, and used for navigating purposes, especially for the transport of merchandise. These skins are fastened together so as to form a raft; their principal advantage consists in their great power of resistance, produced by the elasticity of the skin. To my great regret, I could not get near enough to see the manner of loading these rafts. The elevator was equally singular, and consisted of an enormous wheel, which, as it plunged under themachine to raise water at lan-tcheou.126 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. water, was turned round by the strength of the current. It was thus turned night and day, like a real perpetuum mobile, and requiring no one to work it. Twelve pails fastened to its outer circumference filled with water each time they dipped into the river, and on reaching the opposite extremity emptied their contents into a receptacle communicating with a pipe going through the wall of the town, and leading the water into numerous cisterns. The inconvenience of this system was only felt when the water was at a low ebb ; the wheel could then no longer act, and the town was deprived of water. On these occasions men carried the water up to the receptacles—an immense undertaking, only possible in China, where labour is so cheap. Some years ago a steam elevator had been erected by strangers, but was no longer in working order; the machinery had gone out of repair, and no one knew how to put it right again. One of the most beautiful fountains in the town happened to be in a court of the Grovernor-Greneral’s residence. Every 6ne had a right to draw water from it, and from morning till night porters went perpetually backwards and forwards with barrels and tubs on little carriages drawn by themselves or by horses. A gallery surrounded the fountain on three sides, and several chairs were placed in it. A ceremon\r took place daily in this gallery, and I now came in for seeing it. On my return I happened to meet the Greneral Tzo returniqg from his habitual walk with his suite. I bowed politely, but kept my distance and tried to obliterate myself. The general detained me, however, saying, “Houa-le?”TZO AND THE CHILDREN. 127 (Kaye you been drawing ?), and seeing my sketch-book, asked to look through it. He recognised the subject, praised the drawing, and asked me to accompany him to the fountain. “ Everything interests you; you want to see everything,” he said. “ You shall make a drawing of the fountain.” And we went off arm-in-arm. When we reached the gallery we both sat down, his attendants standing behind him. One of the mandarins placed a large basket of rolls before the General, and another, turning to a group of little boys and girls, bade them come forward. Placing themselves in a row, without any pushing or quarel-ling, they all advanced slowly towards the table. “ Come forward,” said Tzo with a kindly smile. The children advanced, and, after a deep ko-toou (bow) to the General, each received a roll from his hands. They then made a less profound bow (the tzo-i), and, passing to the left gallery, went off to their homes. Some of the small creatures were quite naked, and were brought by their sisters and brothers. They were so young that they had no idea of what a grand personage they were before, and presented themselves without doing reverence to the General. “ Ko-toou ! Ko-toou ! ” said Tzo laughingly, and the poor children, joining their little hands together, bowed so profoundly that they could not get up again. This scene pleased me as a trait of national life. There was something simple and old-fashioned in it. We Europeans have lost these good old customs. In China the barrier disappears which separates the high dignitaries from the poor. I had intended to go next day to a temple in the town,128 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. and obtain a bird’s-eye view of it all, so as to decide wbat views I should take; but an official invitation to breakfast with the General obliged me to defer this to another occasion. The first thing in the morning we each received a separate invitation, in a red envelope gummed down with a band of red paper, on which was inscribed our address. The invitation was written on a sheet of red paper folded three times, and the aide-de-camp Schi explained that it was to say that “ Tzo-Tzoun-Tan invited us to breakfast on a certain day and at a certain hour.” The invitation was for ten o’clock, and we had to don our uniforms and go off as fast as possible. This time Tzo came to meet us at the door of the tribunal already described. He and all his suite were in uniform. He had, therefore, begun to understand that an official reception would not compromise his dignity. We had to go across another court and through three doors before reaching the dining-room, where the table was laid, and where four servants awaited us dressed in pale yellow silk and their best hats. The small dining-room was further divided in two by a sort of arch. In each division there were niches with windows, and a hang covered with books and papers. Hear the door I saw a quantity of sticks, which Tzo had a fancy for collecting, and used in his walks ; and on a little table the celebrated present offered by our chief. Without having seen it we had heard of it from one of the Cossacks, who valued it at 200 roubles. It was a landscape under a glass shade, of cardboard mountains covered with sand andOFFICIAL DINNER AT TZO’S HOUSE. 129 pebbles, and made most skilfully ; moss represented trees ; there was a windmill with sails made to turn round ; below the house was a blue paper river with completely rigged boats, which could also move. At the bottom of this pasteboard picture was a musical-box, and the whole might have been about three-quarters of a yard long. He at once pointed it out to Sosnowsky when we entered the room, to show him that he had given it the most conspicuous place, and again thanking him most graciously. It was quite evident that this present, although so common to European eyes, gave him great pleasure. I had also noticed a yellow chest, with a dragon drawn on it, placed on a shelf nearly as high as the ceiling. The General explained that it contained a dress the Emperor had worn and given him as a signal mark of his favour. The black lacquer table, without cloth or napkins, had only plates and little dishes on it, containing the habitual Chinese entrées, dainties, fresh fruit cut in slices, dried fruit, sugar comfits like those made at Kieff, and jellies; and on a side table, according to Chinese custom, game and salt fish ; the whole artistically piled up on little plates. Each cover consisted of two saucers and two little cups, a twp-pronged silver fork, and ivory chopsticks. Six stools covered with blue stuff and red cushions were arranged round the table. , Tzo first began with the ceremony usually preceding the repast. At a given signal a servant approached the General, carrying a tray with little cups and a teapot full of wine. Tzo took a cup, which the servant filled, and turning towards us pronounced the name of our chief. An aide-de-camp VOL 11. K130 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. showed Sosnowsky his place, and whispered to him not to take his seat before Tzo invited everyone to do so. Tzo solemnly lifted the cup above his head, holding it in both hands, and slowly approaching the place, put it down on the table. He then raised each article belonging to the cover over his head in the same way, moved the stools, and made pretence of dusting them himself. Again lifting his hands over his head, he bowed profoundly to Sosnowsky, and led him to the place he was to sit in, where Sosnowsky remained standing. He gravely went through the same ceremony with ns all, and when we were all placed went to his own stool, and invited us to be seated. After a courteous struggle Tzo remained victor, and seated himself last, doubtless to show us how polite and amiable he could be. A servant tied a napkin round his neck, but a very coarse one—a regular kitchen cloth, in blue and white squares. At the same time he put a fourfold square of white linen on the table and an ivory toothpick. Another servant put little square papers, folded like napkins, in front of each of us, meant to serve as such. Tzo took his cup of wine, rose, greeted us all, and invited us to drink. We did the same, and he then proceeded to help us with his chopsticks to a little piece of fruit each, some bonbons* game, and salt fish, and then begged us to help ourselves. After this hors-d'œuvre, birds’-nest soup was brought, and a whole series of dishes I cannot remember. There were about fifty : roast meat, boiled and stewed meat, sauces, and mixtures of all sorts, and generally delicious. Our hostCEREMONY PRECEDING A REPAST AY IT H GOVERNOR TZO.132 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. helped us first to a small portion of each dish, begging us to help ourselves if we wanted more. The dishes were left on the table as they were brought up, till there was no more room, and then they were removed to make way for others. The little wine-cups were always replenished. Seeing that we did not drink a great deal, the General asked us if we would not like some foreign wine. We told him that we preferred the wine of the country, and begged him to keep the European for his friends. He, however, asserted that he always drank it, and that he received quantities of it, and then gave his servants orders to bring some. The latter shortly returned with a tray, and on it a European case mounted in gilt bronze, containing two crystal bottles and six glasses. “ Lin-ven,” said the General, hot being able to pronounce Rheinwein. He drank it himself with evident enjoyment, and seemed pleased to show us that he had European wine and glasses. He apologised for having no champagne at the time—chan -pan- tzu (tzu means wine), and added, “that Europeans seemed to like it very much.” The dinner was somewhat prolonged, and Tzo still went on talking. I found it difficult to remember all that passed in conversation through interpreters, but I must try and give the General’s opinion upon men’s dispositions belonging to various nations. “ The men belonging to great nations have an upright disposition,” said he, “ but those born in small countries are of crooked minds,” and to demonstrate his meaning he stretched out or doubled up his little finger. He further questioned us on some European powers, besides Russia,OFFICIAL DINNER AT TZO’S HOUSE. 133 which he knew by name: In-tchi-li (England), Fa-lian-si (France), I-ta-li (Italy), Pou-lius (Prussia), and Toul-si (Turkey). He had a vague idea of international politics, and questioned us on the relations existing between European nations, their respective strength, and their alliances. He was delighted to hear that England was always hostile to Russia, ever seeking to do us harm, and to encourage our enemies. It was just what he had thought himself. He could come to no other conclusion, and to demonstrate the crooked disposition of the English he bent his fingers quite double. Finally he tried to make a comparison between China and Russsia, and asked us who would remain victorious in the event of a war between the two nations. We scouted the idea of war being possible between us, and protested that we ought to remain friends. “ Evidently that is my opinion,” replied Tzo, “ but I should nevertheless like to hear your opinion, as you have seen our army. If we were equally matched, who would come off victorious ? ” We replied evasively, that probably it would be a drawn battle, and that although the Chinese army was more numerous, the Russian was stronger and better armed, but that both nations were equally brave. Tzo was not satisfied with this answer, and begged us to give our candid opinion, unrestrained by any fear of hurting his susceptibilities. Thus pressed, Sosnowsky replied “ That in case of war, Russia would prevail.” He addressed the same question to Matoussowsky, and to each of us in succession, and invariably134 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. received the answer “ That the Russians would get the best of it.” The old man did not expect this answer, and it perplexed him sadly. In the simplicity of his heart he thought China was quite in a position to make head against Russia, and even to conquer her. I was really sorry for him ; it seemed as if he must have had some cherished design against us. After the dinner, which lasted six hours, tea was served “ to make the food go down/’ and the worthy General then took a fit of the hiccoughs, which might have been heard in the court outside. He was altogether less restrained in his manners than any general we had hitherto come across. According to custom, we took leave of him the moment we left the table, begging him not to take the trouble to accompany us; but to this he would not consent, and went out to the court with us, stopping to talk at every step. He spoke of a Frenchman who, after serving in the Chinese army, returned to Paris, and sent him a remembrance, which he now sent for. It was a magnificent gold chronometer from the Exhibition of 1872 (?), which fact was duly inscribed in the case, and outside there was a mandarin's hat with the red button and peacock's feather in enamel. The cunning old man, pretending not to know its value, made each of us appraise it, and after we had duly admired it, told us that it had cost nearly one thousand roubles, and then began laughing to himself with no apparent reason. Then the conversation turned on Tzo, with whom Sosnowsky was delighted. When I used to go into the town to draw, accompanied byPUNISHMENT OF A SOLDIER. LIS four soldiers, a small boy of twelve years old, son of one of the mandarin’s belonging to Tzo’s suite, would often join me. He stammered, and was very mischievous, and his bad disposition quite disgusted me ; he profited by his father’s position to do evil with impunity. Sometimes he came to see us, but dared not be rude to us; towards the soldiers and the common people he was a very tyrant. I11 the streets he would order the soldiers to strike people without the slightest reason, and seemed quite annoyed if their clubs were inactive for a single instant. Although the surrounding crowd might be perfectly quiet whilst I drew, he would pick a quarrel on the first opportunity, cry with rage if he encountered opposition, and order the soldiers to strike the unlucky offender, deriving intense amusement from his sufferings. His father, being an excellent man, was doubtless quite unaware of his son’s conduct. The servants spoilt him, as it was to their interest to please him. One day hearing unusual cries and a strange recitative accompaniment, I rushed out of my room, and found a poor soldier being punished, whilst this little wretch was looking on quite pleased. The soldier, lying with his face to the earth, was held down by two fellow-soldiers seated on his feet and his shoulders, and a third struck him with a bamboo cane, counting the blows, and crying, “ I, lian, san, sy, ou, liu, tzi, pa, tziu schi, schi-i, schi-err, schi-san,” and so on; that is, one, two, three, four, five, six, &c. The commandant was present at the execution of the sentence. The stick was not very thick or the blows very hard, but by^6 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. degrees the blood began to come ; tbe small boy jumped about with merriment, and I could have wished him to have a taste of the bamboo. The stripes ceased. A hundred had just been counted for the third time. The commandant ordered them to continue, “ Tzai-cla” (strike again). I approached the chief to beg pardon for the wretched creature, and my prayer was granted. “ Bou-yao-ta” (cease striking), said he. I thanked him, and went away, but not without casting a glance at the little scamp, who looked angrily at me for having interrupted his diversion. Most of the inhabitants of Lan-Tcheou knew me already, and I was quite pleased to be always surrounded whilst I sketched. One climbed a tree to obtain a better sight of what I was about; another lay flat on the roof, and watched my work from this altitude. No one ever did anything unpleasant to me; even the children liked playing with me, and only once did a little monkey call out, “ Foreign devil! ” I often found on my return that Tzo-Tzoun-Tan had come quite unceremoniously to have supper and a talk with us. On these occasions silver candlesticks of European manufacture were brought, and wax candles. This heralded his visit. One evening I got in late and found everyone at table. Tzo asked me to show him what I had drawn during the day, and praised it, although he had not much idea of the art of drawing, whereas the suite standing behind his chair gazed eagerly at it, and although they did not dare to speak in his presence, they raised their fingers to me and gave me all sorts of approving nods. Tzo questioned us minutelyTHE AUTHOR SKETCHING AT LAN-TCHEOUA JOURNEY IN CHINA. that evening about the Emperor of Russia, his appearance, figure, manner of life, and whether he showed himself to the people, and was much surprised to hear that he walked about on foot. He was most anxious to know the habits of our officials, and asked if they ever transgressed the law. Sosnowsky announced that this was of rare occurrence, as the newspapers denounced any scandal, and he recommended publicity as the best mode of keeping officials in check. Tzo was also interested in military art, philosophy, and the Russian manner of life. He probably wished to show how much he knew of strange countries, but was in fact ignorant of all these subjects, and this after all was scarcely astonishing. Our chief, however, surprised us by his answers to the General’s questions. For instance, Tzo asked how many years the Russians reckoned the world to have existed. Sosnowsky replied, “ Seven thousand three hundred.’’ The General smiled and turning to his mandarins made a remark we did not catch, but they smiled too, and he then said aloud, “ Our empire is of older date.” Tzo then proceeded to other questions. “ Is horseflesh eaten in Russia ?” “ Very little.” “ And does cannibalism exist in Russia ? ” “ Yes, it exists, but in very few places,” said Sosnowsky. This astonished us a good deal, and we thought it was said in joke. But the interpreter duly translated his words. “ Why make him believe what is not the case, and give him a bad impression of our country ? Where do they eatSUPPER WITH THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL. 139 men in Russia ? ” Matoussowsky and I exclaimed with one voice. “ What ! ” said the chief, “ have you never heard of the Samoyedes?* Don’t you know about them? You had better rub up your geography.” “ Forgive me, Samoyede is not a Russian word-----” “ What nonsense you are talking ! ” “ And therefore why mislead a Chinese mandarin who—” “ Pray allow me to proceed ; you have a mania for contradiction just for its own sake,” and turning to the interpreter he ordered him to go on, or we should never get any further. Ever after when I met Tzo-Tzoun-Tan or one of the mandarins of his suite, I always thought that these people must take me for an inhabitant of one of those rare countries where human flesh is eaten, and that probably it was entirely out of politeness that they did not ask me what the taste of jen-de-joou was like. I would have given anything to know what Tzo thought of us since the evening of the 20th of June. The days passed on, and there was no question of our leaving. Our chief was bored to death, and yet he first put off our start three days, then two days, and again four days. We had seen everything there' was to be seen : a gun-factory, a foundry for cannons worked by steam, and without a single foreigner in the establishment. We had also seen the big army manœuvres. On the 21st of June, long before sunrise, we were awoke * Samnyedes is derived from the words sam, one’s self, and yed> eater. The tribe lives in the north of Siberia, and has never practised cannibalism.140 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. by drums and trumpets, and at first I thought the alarm was being sounded for a sortie on the enemy who must have come during the night to besiege the town. The troops went to the scene of action the first thing in the morning. We ourselves hastened to get ready, although Sosnowsky judged it to be more polite to delay our start till Tzo had gone on. Without deciding this knotty question, I greatly regretted that we could not be on the field to see the arrival of the General. However, it was decided that we should only set out when salutes should announce that Tzo had arrived on the scene. We awaited these salutes in vain, and the mandarins were meanwhile running in at every moment to find out whether we had started. At last the guns were fired ; Tzo had started, and the chief informed us that in a quarter of an hour we should follow him. We had hardly got out before Sosnowsky started off full gallop, followed by a Cossack; the rest of us proceeded at an even trot till we reached the field, distant three versts (two miles) from the town. To the right, soldiers were massed on a plain bounded by mountains on the one side, and on the other by the wall of the town, supporting a high bastion. To the left, and facing the field, was a stand in three divisions towards which we directed our steps. The centre was set apart for great dignitaries, and here we imagined that we should have seats. I expected to see Sosnowsky already installed with Tzo, but to my great surprise I only beheld some unknown mandarins, who seemed inclined to take no notice of us. In vain we searched aboutREVIEW. I4I for Sosnowsky and Tzo ; an aide-de-Camp came, and taking ns by the arm, led us to the terrace. He showed us to our places with a confused and embarrassed look, and there, seated at a table, we found Sosnowsky, who beckoned us forward. The aide-de-camp timidly asked us to seat ourselves, but appeared to expect a refusal. “ What ! here among the musicians ? ” said I ; “ I will not remain here ! Who do they take us for ? It is not as if we were indoors. We are in the presence of the army and the crowd.” Matoussowsky backed me up, and Sosnowsky quite agreed with us, so I continued in the same strain, and advised that we should either retrace our steps or go and sit on the centre seats beside Tzo, and there remain till we were requested to move. The aide-de-camp, without understanding Russian, guessed what was the matter and vanished. “ Well, gentlemen, either let us return home or take suitable places. Did you speak to Tzo ? How did he receive you ? 99 I asked of Sosnowsky. “ Tzo-Tzoun-Tan has not yet arrived ; it has been announced that he is coming directly.” And as he spoke shouts arose, “ Lai-lé ! Lai-lé !99 (he is coming !) and everybody was on the tiptoe of expectation. The thing was now explained. The cunning Chinaman had tricked us. The guns we had heard were only a make-believe. We expected him to come and meet us, whilst he on the contrary wished us to await his arrival. His position was in truth not easy.142 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. Was it suitable that an old man, and a governor-general, should come forward and receive us ? On the other hand, he slighted us by not doing so. Therefore the only course open to us w.as to enter a protest by leaving the field, but Sosnowsky judged this to be inadvisable. Two lines of soldiers kept the road to the pavilion, and Tzo then appeared, preceded by a group of horsemen and two executioners, an indispensable symbol of the power of a great dignitary. These took up their position on either side of the way, leaning on their clubs. Tzo came along at an amble on a superb charger; he wore a yellow dress and black hat (resembling a head-dress worn by Russian women called the kokoschnik). Four mandarins closed the procession at a certain distance. He stopped before the stand with a grave and frowning expression, and seemed quite aware of his high dignity and importance. Two mandarins lifted him off his horse, and he then ascended some steps to a platform where other mandarins respectfully awaited him, ready to execute the commands of the supreme governor of the country. He saluted them, and looking to the right and left appeared to be searching for someone. He pretended not to see us, although our uniforms might be seen a mile off. At last he saw and greeted us with an amiable smile. He then went on, with three generals, to the middle terrace on the stand, where three empty chairs remained, probably placed there for us, but no one came to ask us to go to them. We stayed where we were on the left-hand terrace at a table by ourselves.REVIEW. H3 “ Let us go now,” said I to Sosnowsky. “ Why offend the old man ? ” replied the chief, “ it is from ignorance of our customs that he has thus acted ; I can see no intentional offence in all this.” “ If the chief sees none,” thought I to myself, “ there is none,” so I seated myself at the table. Tea and cakes were immediately brought, but all this did not make us forget the insult received and endured by us in silence. Although it was perhaps somewhat our fault, in my opinion we should not have submitted to this public humiliation. But my love of contradiction may have caused me to see this affair in à false light. When Tzo was seated, mandarins with red buttons and blue buttons came in succession to salute him, and then commenced various infantry and cavalry manœuvres, which continued during three hours, with intervals for repose. After the army came the children, boys of ten and twelve years old, fifteen or twenty in number, to whom Tzo was teaching the art of war. This little corps of cadets was called Youi Bine. One of the mandarins nearest Tzo gave the word, and they each came forward in succession and shouted, “ Kan-ouo !” which meant, “ Look at me,” after which they returned to their places. They also went through some gymnastic exercises, and shot with bows and arrows or little guns, the whole accompanied with antics similar to those of a clown, and grimaces like those of a Chinese actor. Tzo seemed interested in this little troop ; he praised them and joked with them, making all sorts of remarks. These children even144 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. receive pay. When the martial marionettes had finished their gambols, they were exercised with most singular guns, consisting of nothing but the barrel, and testifying to the merciless derision of the English, who had sold these old guns to them stripped of the wood. I had seen them in the arsenal, but had never imagined that they were used to shoot with. The hammer was not at the side, but above, and there was no trigger. It was placed at full-cock by pressing a spring at the side. The soldiers held the gun in both hands, planted it against their body, and took aim, looking to the left of the barrel. They then pressed the spring and the gun went off. This short description will suffice to explain the result obtained by such guns, and the state to which the hands of the miserable soldiers were reduced. I also saw them shoot at a target with the same guns, but loaded with powder and not with ball. But what a target ! À ring half a yard in diameter, in the midst of which a circle of copper was balanced and fastened to a stick about as high as a man. The shooter places himself at five or six steps from this target, and if the shot makes the copper swing it is considered successful. Notwithstanding these conditions, most of the soldiers shot to one side and failed to move the copper circle. And Tzo-Tzoun-Tan had asked which nation would be victorious in war ! How I should have liked to show him a Russian soldier ! He would soon have seen the difference. After the manœuvres were over, the General’s aide-de-camp came to ask us to lunch in the stand itself, but owing to the slight we had received fromDEAD BODY IN THE STREET. *45 “ the excellent old man,” we refused the invitation and went away. To divert my thoughts from all this, I went with Tan-Loe to some of the shops and bought various things for my ethnological collection. The shops were tolerably well supplied, but the prices were three times higher than in Central China. They actually could produce some articles of European manufacture—candles, soap, bonbons, needles, glasses, and even matches and stuffs. During this walk I again saw a dead body lying in the street, covered with a dirty cloth. The owner of the shop near the spot where the accident had happened was in despair, as, according to Chinese law, he was responsible for any man who had died on his property or near his house. Of course he could not be accused of being guilty of his death, but he would have to give an account of the cause and of the dead man?s circumstances. Such cases are taken before the tribunals, and threats and intimidations used to extort money. Dreadful things are sometimes the outcome of this. It is related that a beggar, wishing to revenge himself upon some merchant who had refused to give him money, went and stole a child belonging to a family on bad terms with the merchant, which he took to the shop and murdered. He then ran off and left it there. A beggar-woman he had previously engaged on his side testified that the merchant had killed the child. A trial took place, and the merchant, who was acquitted after he had spent the whole of his fortune on the case, was entirely ruined. The dead man appeared to have been wasted away by VOL. II. L146 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. illness. I was surprised at the indifference of those who passed by. They paid no attention whatever, whether from hardness of heart, or perhaps from fear of being implicated, or,more probably from being used to seeing vagabonds end their sad existence in the middle of the streets. Instead of looking after the dying, the fear of a lawsuit makes a Chinaman beg the sick person to leave his house and go and die in the street, which they never refuse to do if they have strength to drag themselves out. One evening that Tzo was at supper with us, I asked his leave to visit the prisons in the town. He failed to understand how I could want to do such a thing, and made me repeat my request, thinking he had misunderstood me. “ How odd that you should wish to see such unpleasant things ; they are a horrible sight,” said he. “ All the same if you are bent upon it, I will give orders that you are to be allowed admittance and shown everything.” Next day I went out with Tan-Loe, who understood the small amount of Chinese I could speak, and whose manner of speech was easier of comprehension to me than that of any one else. We came to a building in no respect resembling a European prison. We were received by the chief mandarin and governor, a dry, severe, and rather rude old man ; he treated us haughtily and with considerable scorn. It was only on hearing that I was a doctor that he became vastly more amiable ; for having a chest disease, he thought he would consult me about it. After the consultation he handed us over to one of the prison warders, who led usVISIT TO THE PRISON. H7 into a little street where lie unlocked a door. At the bottom of the court was another door, also locked, which the warder at once shut after us. We entered a. tolerably big* court, surrounded by an earthen rampart; separate buildings ran round it with all their doors open. In the court the prisoners were exercising or sitting about. At the bottom of the court, on the terrace belonging to a little temple, a prisoner was seated alone on his bed. “The Governor,” whispered the warder. He was tall, and had an expressive countenance; his long disordered hair fell on his shoulders, a long thick beard covered his chest, and the chain fastened round his neck went down his body, and separating into two parts, reached down to his feet. It would have been interesting to hear what the Governor’s crime had been ; but I could only discover that he was guilty of mistakes during the war. He was of the Mussulman type, but I was assured that he was Chinese. Tan explained to the ex-Governor who I was and what brought me to China and into the prison. He had been two years in confinement, and seemed to have forgotten the past. It was very painful to see him standing in front of me. I could hardly persuade him to sit down again, and I seated myself beside him on his bed. The prisoner did not complain of his fate, but of a chest disease (chronic gastralgia), and I promised to send him some remedies. It was very sad to see a man in this situation, especially as his culpability was doubtful. Two years in irons already, and not to know how or when the punishment would end ! I took leave of him and proceeded farther.148 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. Near the wall were standing four Doun-Gans, two grownup men and two boys of fourteen and fifteen; the two first, chained like the Governor, wore double bracelets on their wrists, so that their hands were crossed and all movement impossible. They could not even bend their elbows. The children were not in chains. Whether less guilty or too young, I know not. They were the last surviving Mussulmans of the town of Siu-Tchoou-Fou. The two boys’ only crime was that their father and uncle had been the principal leaders of the Si-Nine-Fou insurgents when the Chinese of that town had been massacred by the Mussulmans. Both had been executed, and better had their children perished with them than have remained in life-long captivity. The keeper did, in fact, explain to us that they were only detained for the sake of precaution, that they might never avenge their father and uncle. They had been shut up for three years in absolute idleness, and not taught anything or given any occupation. Certain buildings were inhabited in common by several prisoners. The rooms were tolerably large, but dark, as they were only lit by the door, which was shut at night. They were absolutely empty, neither beds, chairs, or tables, which seemed a cruelty, as the Chinese are accustomed to chairs and beds. Whenever I went near a prisoner he went on his knees before me, and thus remained whilst he answered my questions. It was very difficult to make them get up ; if I asked them another question they again went on their knees to answer it. Probably a, rule is laid down on this subject.AN EX-GOVERNOR IN CHAINS. 149 Cellular imprisonment does not exist ; the prisoners live in groups without class distinction. Thus in a division of very low-class prisoners there was a mandarin who had commanded five camps. Well known for his bravery, he had given full swing to his passions, not only in the enemy’s country during the war, but also in his own country in times of peace. Having heard that he was going to be betrayed to judgment, he had taken flight and successfully remained in hiding during thitee years. He had only been captured three days ago and thrown into prison. His face was common, and disfigured by small-pox, and he was chained to another man who was neither prisoner nor criminal, but a police soldier appointed to watch him. Twice a day the watcher was changed Later on I heard that this mandarin had been accused of treason, and awaited his death-warrant from Pekin. He was to be quartered, and this news produced such an effect upon me that for a long time afterwards I kept thinking of him at the moment when he should be torn limb from limb. There were fifty prisoners, including old men and boys. Thé youngest was nine years old, and was the son of the rebel chief I have just mentioned. A very decent old man was imprisoned for being suspected of knowing where the money had been hidden belonging to a merchant who had been murdered near his farm. The others were guilty of pillage and assault, or merely suspected of crime. I was thence conducted to another division for less important offences. No more chains, and the seclusion lessA JOURNEY IN CHINA. J50 severe, but the position of the prisoners was no better. The dirt was sufficient to destroy the health of those breathing the vitiated atmosphere of this prison. Thirty-five people were crammed together in a -corner where all the filth of the place was accumulated and all the dirty water emptied. As I passed through the gate to it the bad smells very nearly made me sick, and the bad gases in the air brought the tears to my eyes. The prisoners had the most miserable appearance, some in rags, others nearly naked, showing their bodies in a fearful state of dirt; most of them were bloodless or swollen with dropsy; some had scorbutic patches on their feet, and almost all had sore eyes. I saw their gruel distributed ; it was made of wheat and lard, and I took some and found it to be well cooked, thick, salted, and not bad to taste. They are given either gruel or rice three times a day, and tea whenever they like, I next visited quite a new building, where I was received by another mandarin ; he was young and polite, and showed me most of the instruments of torture employed in China. First the bamboo-cane, siao-pan-tzy, is held by the slender end whilst the thicker is applied to the legs. The number of stripes may amount to several hundreds. Even mandarins with the red button are not exempt from this punishment. The bei-houa-tiao-tzy, composed of three bamboo switches, each of the thickness of a goose’s feather, and tied together by a string. This elastic rod is used for flogging the back, and is a terrible punishment, only inflicted on those of low degree.INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE. 151 The tzim-pa-tzy has a wooden handle, to which are fastened two leather tongues. This instrument is principally applied to women. They are struck on the mouth with it for evil-speaking; but it is sometimes applied in a very humiliating manner to the officials of the lower grades. The guilty man goes on his knees and puts his head on the lap of the executioner, who is seated on a bench, and who then strikes his cheeks with the leather. This is said to be very painful, and to inflame the lips and cheeks of the unfortunate creature to whom it is applied. The gouan-gouan-tzy is a simple instrument, but terrible in its effect, and consists of two canes of the thickness of two fingers. One of these has a knot at the end of it, and is fastened to the big toe in such a way that it cannot slip. With the foot thus held down, the condyle is struck with the second switch. Tan-Loe, who had seen this punishment inflicted, told me that although the bone was soon laid bare, they did not cease striking on that account. This is applied to the common people for thieving or for carrying off a married woman* The next instrument was a bench with a perpendicular back at the end, in which a hole is bored. The guilty party has to sit down on it half undressed, and lean his head against the back ; his plait is passed through the hole and fastened down in such a way as to make the smallest movement of the head impossible ; his arms are also fastened back-’ wards, and his legs are left free on the bench. Sometimes he is left twenty-four hours in this position. I have already mentioned the cangue, which is formed152 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. by square boards fastened to the neck. This is reserved for individuals accused of stealing or assault, and is worn for a month or more. The head is imprisoned night and day in this collar, and during the day the prisoners are exposed in the pillory. We lastly saw an instrument formed by a sort of flooring upon which the prisoner kneels, and sometimes upon a chain laid on it as well. The stretched-out arms are passed through holes in the boards at the sides, the plait fastened to the plank behind, and the feet bound down by the ankles. As may be easily believed, the sight of these instruments of torture is by no means agreeable ; but I had made up my mind to see as much as possible, so I requested of my own accord to see the knife or the scythe used for beheading, and filled with mercury to give it weight; also the column or boards on which quartering and strangulation take place. I then asked to see the prison for women, but was informed that there was none. One fine day Sosnowsky announced that he was going to send the Cossack Pawlow to Russia with papers. “ I am in no anxiety about him,” he said; “the Chinese will take him from one stage to the other, and he will perform the journey like a great man.” From that moment nothing else was talked about. A duplicate copy of the contract for supplying the bread promised by our chief was written out, and was such a curious document that I cannot resist quoting its purport. “ Captain Sosnowsky, Staff officer of the Great Empire ofCONTRACT FOR BREAD. *53 Russia, and Tzo the military Tzoundy and Governor of all Western China, “ Agree to this : In consideration of the military expedition against the Tartars in Western China, whence arises the necessity of providing food, “ Captain Sosnowsky, influenced by strong friendship for China, undertakes to furnish bread to the Chinese, for the sum of thirty roubles the tchetvert, lowering the price should it not be so dear in the district of Laissan.” Pawlow then set out, provided with twenty roubles for a journey of three thousand versts (2,000 miles), but to be sure the ^Chinese were to arrange everything. Before leaving, the Cossack went to pay his respects to Tzo, who made him a present of sixty roubles. Tzo-Tzoun-Tan had got into the habit of coming to supper with us every other night to. have a talk. He spoke as fluently as if he were reading, and I exceedingly regretted being unable to follow his discourse as well as I could have wished. He must, however, have known that we could not understand a wTord he said ; perhaps he belonged to that class of talkers who speak for the mere love of hearing the sound of their own voices. These conferences were only interrupted by the supper, which was always plentiful and well cooked. Tzo himself incurred the expense of it, and ate with a good appetite, calling out “ Tchi-tche-ghe Kao ! (eat this, it is good.) For my part, I was much more interested in trying to make out his conversation than in eating, for the interpreter, shaken and scolded every moment, got quite confused in his translations, and I fancy had occasion more than once to curse his154 A JOURNEY IN CHINA, sad fate. At last the chief forbade him to translate what Tzo was saying, and told him he was to write it down afterwards. One evening Tzo began discussing religion, and spoke very bitterly against missionaries and such Chinese as had embraced Christianity, saying that those who changed their religion ought not to remain in China. He spoke of Confucius with respect, and put him before Jesus Christ (Ya-Sou). He could not agree to the possibility of forgiving one’s enemies. “ Is it not better, for instance,” said I, “ to forgive one who has struck you ? ” u No,” said Tzo, “ it is better to return the blow.” At least he was sincere, for do we not ourselves often try to harm those we profess to befriend ? ^Ya-Sou was a great doctor. We have Confucius, what do we want with Ya-Sou ? ” The conversation then turned upon natural science. He knew but little about it and did not want to know more. “We do not require telegraphs and railways; the first would corrupt the people and the second bring them loss of work and consequent starvation.” On another occasion he spoke of supernatural apparitions, and amongst others of flying dragons. “ There are big and little dragons with yellow heads. I have myself seen one flying towards a temple dedicated to it.” In saying these words he looked hard at us to see the effect produced.CONVERSATION WITH TZO-TZOUN-TAN. 155 » “ Were you afraid ?” “ Afraid ! ” he cried, and seemed quite offended. “ It is great good luck to see a dragon, and this was a fine one.” Turning to Sosnowsky, he asked if any were ever seen in our country ? “Ho,” replied the chief. “In our country angels fly about.” Thus Tzo acquired two new pieces of information about Russia ; he now knew that cannibals existed and angels flew about. Presently the conversation took a less abstract turn. “ Of course you are all married,” said the General, and without waiting for an answer he asked how we were able to leave our wives for so long ? He was greatly astonished to hear that only one of us was married; he would not believe it till Sosnowsky assured him that only the peasantry and shopkeepers married young. This information was very distasteful to him; he seemed to feel himself quite at sea, and to change the subject requested us to show him some of our things. He took great interest in the surgical intruments, the concertina, the microscope, and our magnetic wire. One evening he invited us all to come and see shooting at a target, I alone went, with a Cossack, Tan-Loe, and two mandarins who had been ordered to accompany us. Although it was very early in the morning, the kitchen fires were already lit and the streets filled with a thick smoke as if the town were on fire. This, as I have said before, was caused by the chimneys coming out on the wallsA JOURNEY IN CHINA. 156 instead of the roof as ours do. I explained to the Chinese that in this lay the principal cause of their sore eyes, and they quite concurred that I was right, although they could give no good reason for the continuance of this hurtful practice. We went along a road through fields and tobacco plantations, said to be the best in all China, and I then skirted a big cemetery in the midst of the ruins caused by the late war. At last we saw a blue tent in the distance, and several cannons placed in a row. These were the ranges. The commander of the arsenal, a native of Canton, came to meet and take me into the tent where tea was served ; some other mandarins were there already, and set to work to examine me and my clothes, my cigar-case, pencils, and notebook. They would willingly have spent the day without disturbing themselves ; but to put an end to the curiosity of the Chinese artillerymen, I suggested, that we should go and see the shooting. The chief of the arsenal showed me four steel rifle-barrelled breechloaders which had been turned out in his workshops. These were put together with great care and were of various sizes ; the biggest was a No. 9 barrel. The modest director of the arsenal apparently took me for a great judge, for he would accept no praise, having but little confidence in his own science or capacity, and frankly admitting the superiority of Europeans. He contemplated his own creations with loving eyes as long as they were not loaded. Directly the charge was put in he fled to a distance.TARGET PRACTICE. *57 No sooner had. the target been placed, than they began loading the biggest gun, whilst the director of the foundry took refuge in the tent. The soldiers worked skilfully and had no fear, but a mandarin seized me by the arm and tried to drag me towards the tent, pretending that we could see better, without having the noise so close to us. I thanked him, but wished to remain where I was. That he would not allow, as he did not desire to imperil my life should the cannon suddenly go off. So having stopped his own ears with cotton-wool, he dragged me forcibly towards a rampart. Fortunately he stopped short of it, as he might have been capable of taking me behind it. The shot went off and the cannon did not burst. They fired off the same gun several times and then the others, besides a small falconet held up by the soldiers with props. The firing was not bad asva rule, except that of the last piece, which was in itself worthless. When the shooting was over several cups of tea had again to be swallowed in the tent, whilst the mandarins examined me as if I were a prodigy. From thence I went to see the prisoners of war, the Doun-Gan Mussulmans. These were the last survivors of their race, several millions having been exterminated by the Chinese during the war. These prisoners of war were lodged in a temple, with liberty to go into the adjacent street. They numbered twenty-six, and were mostly women and children. The Chinese called them “long headi,” Tchan-Toou, or Tchan Moon, “long haired.” The Cossack Smokotnine, who had known their countrymen at Kouldja, could converseA JOURNEY IN CHINA. ’158 quite easily with them in the Kirghiz dialect. We learnt that they came from Khami, and that they had heard of the arrival of Russians at Lan-Tcheou. The good old women, of whom there were several, wept and threw themselves at my feet, imagining that I might be able to obtain their pardon and permission to return to their own country. “ They are quite persuaded,” said the Cossack, “ that you will give orders that they are to be reconducted to Khami. Their one thought is to leave this place.” I listened to their lamentations without daring to tell them that it was not my affair, and that it was not possible for me to remedy this state of things. I would fain have interceded for these old people and children but I knew Tzo’s feelings towards his enemies, and soon had an opportunity of proving them under the following circumstances. When I went to the prisons with Tan-Loe, the latter met an acquaintance who had been in confinement for three years. He had struck his groom, who fell ill and died, and his death was attributed to the blows. Tan knew him to be a worthy man, and begged me to intercede with the Governor-General, as he had already spent three years in prison. I hesitated for a long time, not wishing to mix' myself up in the matter, but persuaded by Tan, I ventured to present my petition in favour of the prisoner one night after supper. c‘Of whom do you speak P Of what prisoner ?” said he. Tan, who was at the door, threw himself at the feet of the General, and remaining on his knees explained the matter. “ What is this man ? ” cried Tzo in his wrath, although he well knew him to be our travelling companion, and could• nyx-níioZlL-ozi TvaaKüD-H okhha.ooi6o A JOURNEY IN CHINA. scarcely have failed to notice a man of liis height. “ Take care, you fellow, that I do not put you in prison too. Examine into the matter and see what he asks,” added he, without giving the order to anyone in particular. And he then Went off frantically angry. This scene had produced a most disagreeable effect. One felt the power of an autocrat, capable of destroying those who displeased him. One day when I came in, I found two strange mandarins, one of whom wore a red button. This in truth happened constantly ; they came merely out of curiosity, to examine us and our occupations. To-day the “ red button ” showed singular simplicity, and touched my hair, ears, nails, and fingers; then laughing aloud with delight, said to> his companion, “They are exactly the same as we are ourselves; look for yourself; ” and he then proceeded to give him my hand. Not being capable of carrying on a conversation with them, I informed them that Tzo was waiting for me to take his portrait, and begged them to return at a more convenient moment. They were not in the least offended, and both followed me. Tzo-Tzoun-Tan was really waiting for me in full dress. I put him in front of me and began painting. About ten mandarins were collected behind me, and discussed the likeness under their breath. Before I had done two strokes one would say, “No resemblance.” “ How bad it is, not a trace of likeness,” added another, doubtless supposing that I did not understand.PORTRAIT OF TZO. 161 5f It is not possible to do it; it is too difficult,” said a third. “ He should not attempt to draw,” said a fourth, and so on. But they soon changed their minds and laughed with delight. The further the portrait advanced, the more their delight increased. Tzo could not resist getting up and coming to have a look. He was extremely pleased, but remarked that I had made him look too young, and that I had not drawn the two-eyed peacock’s feathers he had on his hat. Now These feathers fell back from the hat, and could not be seen in a front view. ■ But Tzo declined to understand anything of this, and implored me to depict this sign of his high rank. I explained to him how impossible it was, and, not wishing to make such a mistake, I did not add them. When the portrait was finished Tzo and the mandarins set to work to examine it closely, or at a distance through their hands. At length Tzo sent for his binocular, a microscope, and a stereoscope to have a look at it through these three instruments. It had been understood from the first that the portrait was to be for myself. The General, however, begged me to leave it with him. “ But it is precious to me as a souvenir.” He then asked me to make him a copy to send to one of his friends. I could not refuse it, and next day, wThen the copy was finished, I took it to him to give him his choice. He would not decide on his own responsibility, but made about twenty people come, who unanimously selected the first as162 A JOURNEY IN CHINA. being the best. Tzo was quite enchanted, and hung it up in his own room, to which he repaired every now and then to look at it. But he could not get over the absence of the feathers (