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. FROM HONG-KONG 



TO 



THE HIMALAYAS: . 



OR, 



r^ 



THREE THOUSAND MILES THROUGH INDIA. 



ILLUSTRATED FROM ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS. 



BY E. WARREN CLARK. 



'^^it^ 



AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 

150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 



'XDS4I3 
C55 



i/ 



OPYRIGHT, i8&^ 
IICAN TRACT SOaETV. 



» 
^ 

^ 



CHAP. I. The Island of Hong-Kong PACB g 

CHAP. IL Canlon: The Hetropolb of Ihe "Middle King- 

CHAP. IIL Prisons, Executions, and Eicarsions in China- 53 

CHAP, IV. A Trip through the Tropics 87 

CHAP. V. Calcutta and its Inftitultons tzi 

CHAP, VL Benares, the Sacred Cit; of the Hindoos- 158 

CHAP. VIL Cawnpore and the Mutin; 196 

CHAP. VIIL Agra, and the Taj-Mahal 218 

CHAP. IX. DelW, "TheRomeof Aaa" 238 

CHAP. X. The Valley of Dehra-Doon 278 

CHAP. XL Three Weeks among the Himalayas 305 

CHAP. Xn. Homeward Bound ISSti^T^;?^ 

63C245 




T OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



om the River Fkontispiece, pack i 

7 

lorand Victoria F«ak — •- 13 

^est River — ——,.—..—. ^j 

;lbarrow ---• ... — .._ ^j 

e Mandarin's House 77 

uiquin ..— -„, . — iqj 

ind Tank -- ... — ...,. uy 

Place ......—.- ijg 

I Home, Calcutta .--— . — .. — i^^ 

'ater-Carrier — — •— — — .. ijg 

I?" 

■es - - 183 

«9» 

. Going for Water——"—- 207 

e ~ az3 

aj-Hahal 317 

;---: - *33 

Ml 

Jteat Mosqoe of Delhi 255 

" 867 

the Kootub-Minar 371 

ig a Log 283 

!>ehra-Doon - — 289 

ling 297 

im Laltiba -■ •- 317 

'" 3*3 

er Jumna 331 

Bombay 347 

* • 353 

oot of the Red Sea 361 



« • 



c o 



t e VI <. 



« • 

c c 






^ e 



FROM 



Hong-Kong to the Himalayas. 



■ • 

, J « • • • ■» 



V Jl 



CHAPTER L 

THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. 

" Voil\, Hong-Kong !" exclaimed the officer on 
board the French Messagerie steamer Hoogly, as 
we moved swiftly onward towards a bold, rocky 
island rising abruptly from the sea. 

It was a clear morning in March, and the early 
dawn brightened the eastern sky, sending a gleam 
of silvery lustre across the waters of the wide Pa- 
cific. 

Three days before, we had left the port of Shang- 
hai, with its long line of shipping and beautiful gar- 
dens, and sailed southward through the channel of 
Formosa, where naught could be seen save the dis- 
tant and indented coast-line of the " Celestial Em- 
pire," and curious Chinese boats with bamboo sails. 



lo FHOM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

rolling and pitching on the rough waves, through 
which they slowly ploughed their way. 

On the morning of the third day we passed 
through the narrow strait separating Hong-Kong 
from the mainland ; and the harbor, shipping, and 
colonial settlement were spread before us as a pic- 
turesque panorama. 
,._ T^e. island ^nd city belong to Great Britain, 
••(iaviag.*'lieii; ceBed to that country by the Chinese 
.•^Vjrppicnt; .-Th'C; location of the island is a little 
'north' of Ih"^ mbirth of the Pearl River, and nearly- 
one hundred miles from Canton. 

The city of Hong-Kong presents a beautiful 
appearance, rising by a succession of handsome 
terraces from the water's edge towards the lofty 
Peak," whose rugged slope forms the 
1 of the scene. Interspersed with the 
:s of residences and long lines of "hongs " 
)uses, are gardens, and trees with heavy- 
dark green tints of which, together with 
iry slope in the rear, combine to set off 
id airy appearance of the place to advan- 

nd, as seen by one approaching it from the 
len compared to an "overgrown Gibral- 
the peculiar type of architecture pre- 



THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. 1 1 

sented by the buildings reminds one rather of the 
"Arcades" at Berne. No windows or doors are 
discernible, but every building has three balconies, 
with regular archways opening out towards the 
harbor. The sidewalks are covered ways, the roads 
are macadamized, the shops are high and spacious, 
and contain large assortments of foreign goods, and 
the general aspect is such as to impress one with 
the opulence and substantial character of the 
colony. 

The shipping in the harbor is less than at 
Shanghai; nevertheless it comprises all varieties 
of craft, and the number of vessels daily arriving 
and departing from this port is surprising. Be- 
sides the extensive coasting trade — in which scores 
of native and foreign vessels are engaged, ninning 
to Amoy, Swatow, Foo-Chow, Ning Po, etc., on the 
north, and Manila, Macao, Saigon, Penang, and 
Singapore, on the south — this point is the termi- 
nus for some of the longest lines of steamers in the 
world ; viz., the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship 
Company, from Southampton, England ; the Mes- 
sageries Maritimes, from Marseilles, France; the 
Holt's line, from Liverpool ; and the Pacific Mail 
Steamship Company, from San Francisco. There 
are also mercantile lines of steamers run by private 



1:2 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

companies to Calcutta, and engaged in the opium 
trade. With such an influx of commerce, raising 
it yearly in importance, it is no wonder that the 
barren rocks of Hong-Kong soon became beautified 
with the residences, villas, and business hongs of 
the foreign merchants, who (when the trade mo- 
nopolies were in their hands) lived here in the style 
and opulence becoming princes. Under British 
auspices, and the stimulus of foreign trade, quite a 
flourishing native settlement has sprung up also on 
the island. English rule usually carries security 
and prosperity wherever its authority is felt 

American river-boats run daily between Hong- 
Kong and Canton, a distance nearly equal to that 
between New York and Albany. Nothing seemed 
more homelike than these side-wheel boats, where 
everything was characteristically American, and 
one might easily have imagined himself pushing up 
towards the wharves of Albany, rather than towards 
the dingy maze of oddities awaiting him in the 
most populous city of the Chinese Empire. Break- 
fast was served on board, in true Yankee style, as 
we steamed up the river ; and the beefsteak, fish- 
balls, hot muffins, and waffles, were in pleasing con- 
trast to the impressive, but " Frenchy " style on the 
Messagerie S. S. Hoogly. On the latter vessel 



• a 



t'* <. 



st- 









«. ^ 



THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG, 15 

we were served by French waiters with white 
gloves, swallow-tail coats, and white cravats, who 
presented palatable dishes with unpronounceable 
names in all the elegance of a Parisian caf6. 

The only points that were not truly American 
about our river steamer were the name " Kiu Kian," 
and the two big eyes painted on the side of the 
boat. The Chinese say that if " boat have no eyes, 
no can see !" Therefore they paint great staring 
orbs, wide open, upon the prows of all their junks 
and smaller craft, and would scarcely feel secure in 
a " blind boat " that had no organs of vision. Out 
of respect to this strange prejudice, the foreign 
river-boats, plying between their ports, have gor- 
geously-painted eyeSy in which the Chinese passen- 
gers have about as much confidence as they have 
in the pilot, 

' Our boat glided up towards Canton with an 
easy, rapid motion, quite free from the usual rolling 
accompaniments of the sea. She was a pretty 
steamer, light and airy as a bird. Among the for- 
eign passengers were some Parsees, with curious 
coalscuttle hats and a separate eating-table; and 
on the lower deck were five or six hundred Chinese, 
who paid only a dollar a head for a trip of ninety- 
eight miles. On public holidays, sometimes as many 

Hong-Koug, etc. 2 



7NC-K0NG TO THE HIMALA YAS. 

ifteen hundred are taken up the viver 
)ur forward deck a sentry with loaded 
1 back and forth, and the hatchway 
/ith iron bars and padlocks ; the after- 
likewise closed with gratings, and a 
lyonet fixed, was stationed there. The 
ppeared like a small armory, with 
s, and repeating rifles ranged on the 
gs looked a little warlike for so peace- 

\ the captain (who was a Massachu- 
at he meant by making things appear 
replied, " Pirates ;" and to show that 
ions were necessary, he narrated the 
the capture of their little steamer, the 
timek ago, on one of its regular trips 
;o Macao. The Spark left the former 
rning with the usual number of Chi- 
:rs on board, and with only one or two 
The " pirates" took passage with the 
linese, and concealed their arms and 
il the vessel had passed some distance 
Bogue " forts. Then they raised a 
1 the general cabin, which drew the 
He was at once knocked down and 
e purser, steward, and t>vo other for- 



THE ISLAND OF HONG-KOXG. \-j 

eigners, were either murdered or left for dead. The 
pirates robbed the boat and Chinese passengers of 
what they could get (having been mistaken, how- 
ever, in the amount of money they supposed to be 
on board), and then left in a native junk, which had 
pushed ofif from the shore to meet them by previous 
agreement. Two of the firemen then crawled out 
from near the boiler, where they had hid them- 
selves, and started the Spark back towards the 
nearest port. 

The affair caused considerable excitement in 
the neighborhood. Some of the pirates were even- 
tually captured and executed, others were not, and 
extra precautions were taken afterwards to guard 
against a similar occurrence, but these were more 
showy than sure, and if the pirates took a notion to 
try again, there would not be very much to hinder 
them on the vessel itself ; and these steamers are 
known frequently to carry large sums of money. 
We had that very day nearly half a million of dol- 
lars on board. 

Some years ago foreign vessels were frequently 
captured by the pirates who infested the coast, and 
little mercy was shown to any who fell into their 
hands ; but of late the British gunboats have pretty 
well " cleaned out " these banditti of the sea, and 



i8 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

the Chinese government, having now secured some 
fast steam-yachts, have armed them heavily, and by 
vigilant watch on the rivers and coast, prevent fur- 
ther depredations. 

We passed the forts of the " Bogue," or, rather, 
what remains of them, for they have been destroyed 
three times during the past thirty years by British 
squadrons. These forts are placed on each side of 
a narrow channel in the river, just before it emp- 
ties into the broad, delta-like bay. Of the batteries, 
formerly famous in these parts, nothing is now left 
but huge masses of broken masonry and piles of 
stones and earth. A low wall extends over the hill- 
slopes in the rear, and stone encasements line the 
water's edge. A few parapets also remain, but oth- 
erwise the forts are just as they were when last 
knocked to pieces, for the English stipulated that 
they should not be rebuilt. 

Below the " Bogue" the Pearl River expands to 
a breadth of several miles, being joined by numer- 
ous channels of the lower " West River," until it is 
finally lost in the sea. The breadth of the estuary 
or delta is more than seventy miles. At the ex- 
treme eastern limit lies the island containing the 
colony of Hong-Kong, forty miles to the westward 
of which is the peninsula of Macao. 



THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. 19 

Approaching Whampoa, which is twenty-eight 
miles below Canton, we passed the United States 
frigate Hartford lying at anchor, with her clean 
spars, big guns, unfurled flag, and band of music, 
which played some national airs as we went by. 
There was on board a party of young people and 
merry folks, some of whom we recognized ; hand- 
kerchiefs were waved and smiles interchanged 
as our boat steamed on its way. Ugly-looking junks 
were passed, with great eyes at the prow, and im- 
mense sails made of matting, supported by long 
bamboo strips. 

One would hardly venture a description of the 
motley array that awaits the stranger in his first 
glimpse of Canton. It seemed at first sight as 
though half the population were afloat on the river, 
for such a dense mass of dingy boats could never 
be imagined, and how our steamer ever reached the 
dock without crushing scores of them was almost a 
miracle. There were long lines of curious, covered 
boats or scows on the right and left and everywhere, 
some moving and some motionless, and all crowded 
with swarms of men, women, and children. This 
" floating population " of Canton is the most char- 
acteristic feature of the city. Owing to the com- 
pact manner in which the place is built, and the 



20 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

crowded condition of the population, thousands of 
the poorer people find it convenient and economical 
to live in boats which line the river banks. These 
boats vary in size and pretensions, some being quite 
small, and others as large as canal-boats, and gau* 
dily painted. A covering of bamboo matting arches 
over the centre of the boat, forming the little 
*' house " in which the family sleep. A small clay 
fireplace in the stem, and a few rude dishes packed 
away under the seat, form the furniture of the 
kitchen and diningroom ; all parts of the boat may 
be called the " nursery," for the number of babies 
clambering and sprawling about the floor is sur- 
prising. These children have very limited oppor- 
tunities of amusement, so they spend much of their 
time in splashing their hands in the water or climb- 
ing over the sides of the boat. Of course they are 
in constant danger of falling overboard, and their 
mothers sometimes tie them to the small mast, or 
fasten them to a floating bottle-gourd. Little fel- 
lows were seen with shaven heads and miniature 
" pigtails," the ends of which were fastened to sui 
upright stick, giving them just enough tether to 
kick and splash without falling into the river. 
When the boys occasionally tumble overboard, they 
can be pulled out of the water by their cues ; the 



THE ISLAND OF HONG-KONG. 21 

girls, however, "don't count*' for very much in the 
Chinese estimation, and if they fall overboard few 
efforts are employed to save them ; they are left to 
the merciless " river god," who is said to drag them 
down. 

The swarms of boats were ranged in regular 
rows, and banked off in blocks, having canal-like 
streets running through them ; and although to a 
stranger it appears a bewildering maze, yet every 
boat has its appointed place, and the floating city 
of 100,000 souls has its own regulations and even 
its petty rates of taxation. Multitudes of people 
are born, live, and die on this moving flotilla : the 
men go ashore and work during the day, and the 
women " paddle their own canoe " in the midst of 
the river shipping, finding small jobs and picking 
up a few pence by carrying goods or passengers. 
The cheapest and pleasantest way of going about 
Canton proved to be by means of these boats. 
Round-faced and muscular women with brawny 
arms rowed the " sampan " (as the boat is called) 
from place to place. The women often had chil- 
dren strapped on their backs, or sprawling in their 
laps, as they rowed, yet they pulled steadily and 
slowly against the swift current, sometimes sing- 
ing a plaintive sort of lullaby. Their bare feet 



22 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS^ 

were large and fat, and never bound up or dwarfed 
like the "little feet" which characterize the Chi- 
nese ladies. 

Flower -boats, and gayly-decorated craft of 
larger size, were anchored in the stream, and these 
were used as places of resort by the more fashion- 
able people of the city. Here music, dancing, the- 
atricals, and other "questionable" amusements 
were to be found. The occupants and patrons of 
these larger boats come and go, but the poorer peo- 
ple in the sampans remain always on the river, and 
know little change save the rising and falling of 
the tides, the splash of the oar, and the preparation 
of boiled rice for their frugal meals. 

A few years ago a terrible cyclone swept over 
the city of Canton, and though the darkened sky 
and hazy atmosphere gave premonitions of the 
storm, there were few places of shelter whither the 
boats could flee for safety ; and thousands of them 
were swamped, blown to pieces, or thrown helj>- 
lessly on the rude embankments by the great tidal 
wave that came rushing up the river, carrying de- 
struction and death in its course. Hundreds of 
people perished in a single night. 



CANTON, 2s 



CHAPTER 11. 

CANTON: THE METROPOLIS OF THE "MIDDLE 

KINGDOM." 

Jumping off the boat which brought me to Can- 
ton, I began to thread my way through the motley 
labyrinths before me towards the house of a mis- 
sionary friend, trusting more to instinct for guid- 
ance than to any knowledge that I possessed of 
the locality. The first thing I tried to find was a 
street ; and, after pushing along through an indefi- 
nite number of passage-ways, I came to a long lane, 
a few yards wide, in which throngs of people were 
going back and forth. Joining the Chinese current, 
I was carried rapidly along, continuing meanwhile 
my unsophisticated search for a " street," until at 
last it dawned upon me that my notion of what 
constituted a street was undoubtedly different from 
the Chinese notion, and that these narrow and dingy 
defiles, through which the populace were edging 
their way with wonderful dexterity, were really the 
avenues for trade and travellers, and must be taken 
as the celestial equivalent for streets. So, looking 

Bong-Kon^, etc. Z 



26 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

as wise and comfortable as the chattering crowd 

and slippery pavement would permit, I elbowed 

my way along with perfect gravity, holding on to 

my pockets, and wondering why the moving and 

chattering crowd of celestials took things so coolly. 

I did not seem to be such a curiosity to them as 

they were to me ; and though some stopped and 

stared, and others ran away, yet the rabble kept on 

its course, and nobody cared— much less cleared the 

road — for a foreigner. In fact, the " get-out-of-tbe- 

way " spirit was on the other side of the affair. A 

mandarin procession came trotting along ; how it 

was going to squeeze by I could not imagine, for 

streets two yards wide are not over-accommodating 

to big chairs carried by coolies. The crowd, how- 

d into little nooks and crevices, and I 

in a store, while the mandarin went by, 

ne as you please, with runners in front, 

-mounted secretaries behind him. 

its of a Chinese street are a marvellous 

incongruities, and everything appears 

together, as if people scarcely had room 

breathe. The stores are ranged thickly 

es, and resemble great booths or stalls, 

;ly open in front, and having substantial 

d chairs and shelves. Their goods are 



CANTON, 27 

ranged on the shelves around the three side§ of the 
room, or else in showcases, so that the passer-by- 
may see at a glance all that the shop contains. 
Every store has its own little "god-house," or 
sacred tablet and inscription, in a prominent place 
high up on the wall, and before these tapers are 
continually burning and incense is offered. An- 
other little shrine, with tablet, to the "God of 
Wealth," is also placed at the entrance, and before 
this tapers and joss-paper are burned each evening, 
just after the shutters are put up in front of the 
shop. By far the most striking effect in the street 
is caused by long sign-boards, which hang down 
from iron brackets, and are so thick that you can 
only see a short distance ahead. These boards are 
colored green, blue, and red, and are inscribed with 
heavy gilt letters ; or the names are carved and the 
alternate characters are colored differently, so that 
with its variety of hues the crowded causeway has 
a very gaudy appearance. The Canton streets are 
celebrated for their cleanliness, but of their odors 
on a warm day I will not speak. They are all 
paved with granite slabs, worn smooth and slippery 
by the tread of generations. These slabs are very 
long and about a foot wide, and they lie crosswise 
over the road. Directly under them ard^the sewers. 



28 FROM HOAC-KOAG TO THE MIMA LA VAS. 

which open up to the air through the numerous 
crevices of the pavement 

The atmosphere is not usually unpleasant 
though, and there is always so much incense burn- 
ing, so many fire-crackers exploding, such quanti- 
ties of sandal-wood, spice, fruit, sugar-cane, and 
other odoriferous substances exposed for sale, that 
it takes a long time to discriminate between the 
scents that please and those that do not. It must 
be remembered, also, that most of the streets here-^ 
many of them main streets — ^are scarcely as wide 
as the sidewalk in front of an American house; 
and if one can imagine miles of such lanes, inter- 
sected at irregular intervals by similar crooked and 
twisting cross-paths, an idea may be gained of what 
labyrinths Canton is made up. This system is 
utterly perplexing to a new-comer, and one could 
not possibly find his way around without an experi- 
enced guide ; for there are no parks or open spaces 
whence a general view of the situation may be ob-. 
tained. Nothing can be seen above but a strip of 
sky between the projecting eaves of the houses ; 
and even this opening is not unfrequently covered 
with boards or matting. 

Canton impresses one from the first as a vast 
and populous city ; and, indeed, it ranks, in most 



CANTON. 29 

respects, before any other in the Chinese Empire. 
There is more wealth here and a greater variety of 
food ; there are also better trading facilities, more 
general comfort and intelligence in the community, 
than perhaps at any other point. The Cantonese 
are not lacking in spirit, and have made no little 
trouble during past years in their foreign relations ; 
but the British have given them several severe les- 
sons, by which their haughtiness and contempt for 
other powers were effectually whipped out of them, 
and they now have a wholesome respect for for- 
eigners. In former times the East India Company 
had the monopoly of trade in this neighborhood, 
and for nearly one hundred and fifty years they sus- 
tained a similar relation to the Chinese here, with 
similar humiliations also, to what the Dutch traders 
at Dezima experienced with the Japanese during 
the same period. When their monopoly had ceased, 
in 1834, and when Chinese insolence could no lon- 
ger be tolerated, hostilities became rife. During 
the troubles which ensued a mob attacked the old 
"factories," or foreign hongs and residences, and 
destroyed them by fire. This occurred in 1856, and 
for it the city was bombarded, and eventually taken 
by the English, who maintained a garrison there 
till 1 86 1. Since then peace and quiet have reigned. 



30 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

The present appearance of Canton, facing on 
the river, Js far from prepossessing, except at the 
upper portion, where the English and French have 
constructed an artificial island on what used to be 
a series of mud-flats. This is separated from the 
mainland only by a small canal. The length of the 
ground filled in Is nearly three thousand feet, and a 
wall of solid masonry extends around the whole of 
it. The total cost of the undertaking was ^325,000, 
four-fifths of which was defrayed by the British 
government. This spot is called Shamin, and is 
occupied chiefly with English residences. A splen- 
did line of trees surrounds it, and it rejoices in long 
shady avenues, beautiful buildings, a fine church, 
flower-gardens and shrubbery in abundance. Alto- 
gether, it is called the prettiest place in China. Just 
off Shamin the river is broad, and affords a commo- 
dious anchorage for steamers and merchant-vessels. 
The Macao Passage opens up on the opposite side. 
The appearance and striking characteristics of 
a great city in China are so totally dissimilar to any- 
n by the traveller in the neighboring coun- 
pan, that no amount of experience in the , 
untry, or familiarity with its customs and 
could prepare his mind for the strange 
nd peculiar phases of Chinese life which 



CANTON. 31 

constitute the scope of his bewildered studies in 
Canton. 

If I ever imagined that a four years' residence 
among the Japanese had sufficiently orientalized 
my J)owers of observation to enable me to compre- 
hend their neighbors " the celestials " at a glance, 
I was soon to learn that this was far from being 
the proper conclusion. 

Canton is no more like Tokio, or any other 
Japanese city, than it is like New York. Its 
streets, houses, shops, social life, etc., are entirely 
different; and there is little reason why the two 
countries, China and Japan, should be so persist- 
ently confounded by foreigners. The Chinese are 
Mongolian, but the Japanese are not ; and they are 
lyilike in most of their national and individual 
traits. 

There are certain peculiarities common to most 
Orientals, which make them appear similar to us ; 
just as the Jap or Chinaman will insist that all for- 
eigners are alike, whether they call themselves 
Englishmen, Frenchmen, Germans, or Americans. 
But the distinctions of race, religion, physiognomy, 
and national characteristics are frequently more 
marked in the case of the Asiatic than of the Euro- 
pean. We have less reason, in fact, for thinking 



32 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

the Orientals " all alike " than they have for consid- 
ering us so. 

On my first arrival in Canton, I seemed in such 
a maze of sights and oddities, that it required fully 
a month of diligent research to initiate myself into 
the mysteries of Chinese life, and accustom the 
mind to all the novel scenes presented. 

Under the experienced guidance of a mission- 
ary friend. Rev. J. C. Nevin, who had resided in 
Canton for ten years or more, and whose hospital- 
ity and kindness made my sojourn there a perpetual 
holiday, I was enabled to "do up" the city very 
thoroughly and systematically, and also to accom- 
plish a trip of one hundred miles into the interior 
of the country. 

It is impossible, of course, within the limits cl 
one or two chapters, to give more than a casual 
glance at the objects and places of interest in so 
great a city as Canton. The city has a circuit of 
eight or ten miles, and, including the suburb'^, the 
population on land and water is estimated by Dr. 
S. Wells Williams to be nearly a million. The 
older and central part of the city is still enclosed 
by walls, which run through the most compact and 
closely-built portions ; their presence would never 
be suspected, were it not for the massive gateways 



CANTON, 33 

of solid masonry occasionally met with in traversing 
the city. There are no parks or open places whence 
one may obtain an effective view ; but an endless 
succession of alleyways form an infinite series of 
crooked labyrinths, where a stranger becomes hope- 
lessly lost in less than five minutes. Nor can one 
see the city to better advantage by climbing the 
^five-storied pagoda," where a bird's-eye view is 
obtained. Canton looks, from a lofty perch of ob- 
servation, like a wilderness of roofs and wooden 
railings, where chimneys, clothes-lines, and cupolas 
are prominent features of the landscape. No pub- 
lic buildings, broad avenues, or stately trees relieve 
the monotony of the scene ; but massive temple- 
roofs, tall pagodas, and heavy square towers are 
seen here and there at intervals. These square 
towers appear quite feudalistic in the distance, but 
their imposing character rather loses its charm 
when we learn that they are " pawnshops," and are 
built in this manner to protect the goods stowed 
away in them against robbers and outlaws. On top 
of the towers stones and hand-grenades are kept 
in readiness to drop upon the heads of persons 
attempting to pilfer these belligerent "pawn- 
shops." 

On the highest eminence in Canton the French 

Hong-Kong, etc. A 



34 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

have established several Roman-catholic institu- 
tions, and are now engaged in erecting a splendid 
cathedral. Its length is 236 feet, width 98 feet, 
and height of nave and transept 75 feet. The 
arched roof and graceful spires of this new cathe- 
dral are very conspicuous from the river, as the 
traveller approaches Canton ; and the chaste work 
in solid granite, with its imposing Gothic architec- 
ture, seems in striking contrast to the general shab- 
biness of the Chinese surroundings. The Canton- 
ese say that this cathedral is a " fort," and that the 
large round windows high up in the transepts are 
for cannon (!) ; when the " fort " is finished, they 
say, the French Jesuits are going to capture the 
city. The Romanists are shrewd and far-sighted, 
here as elsewhere, and, judging from the progress 
they are making, one might believe the prevailing 
fear had some ground of truth in it, although the 
ecclesiastical " canons " employed would scarcely 
be of the character suspected. 

An ancient Mohammedan minaret is seen in the 
old part of the city, and near it a mosque and school 
for teaching the Koran in Arabic. The minaret is 
perfectly round, and cracked near the top ; a small 
tree is growing in the crevice (from a seed lodged 
there by the wind or by a bird) ; its roots will 



CANTON, 35 

Strengthen and expand, causing the tower ere long 
to crumble. The minaret is very different from 
the Buddhist pagoda. It suggests that Mohamme- 
danism once had a strong footing in China. There 
are three other mosques in Canton. 

The old mythological name for Canton is the 
" City of Rams." . Archdeacon Gray, who is quite 
an authority on Chinese traditions and history, tells 
us the story which originated this title : " Five 
genii, clothed with garments of five different colors, 
met at the capital. They came riding through the 
air upon five rams. Each of the rams bore in his 
mouth a stalk of grain having six ears, and present- 
ed them to the people of the district, to whom the 
genii said, ' May famine never visit your markets/ 
Having pronounced this blessing, the genii depart- 
ed, and the five rams were turned into stone." 

These stone rams, somewhat battered and bro- 
ken, are still standing (or lying in fragments) in 
front of five images of the genii, at the temple ded- 
icated to their memory. It is approached by a 
flight of steps, at the head of which a tower with an 
arched passage-way is placed ; in the tower is sus- 
pended a large bell, said to weigh ten thousand 
pounds. The bell has no striking beam or clapper, 
and a large semi-circular piece has been knocked 



36 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YA S. 

out of it at the rim. On inquiry, I learned that it 
also has an interesting history. Tradition said that 
this great bell should never toll unless to sound the 
doom of the city. Accordingly, it was looked upon 
with superstitious awe, and many precautions were 
taken to prevent it being rung. When the British 
gunners bombarded the city, in 1857, they were 
made acquainted with the locality of the temple and 
the tradition connected with the bell. They fired 
with unerring precision, and struck the bell ! It 
sounded in deep tones the doom of the city ; for the 
superstitious fear of the people, combined with the 
science of modem, gunnery, led to an unconditional 
surrender. Of course, the Cantonese were thereby 
more confirmed in their belief concerning the truth- 
fulness of the tradition. 

In the second story of the temple are three 
gilded images of Buddha, representing his three 
states of serene contemplation, viz., the Past, Pres- 
sent, and Future. Incense is kept continually burn- 
ing before the large images, and an elaborate altar 
is beautifully decorated with vases and bronze lotus- 
lilies. The incense tapers are very long, and coiled 
in the form of a spiral slow-match ; they resemble 
an old-fashioned " hoop-skirt," suspended over the 
altar. They smoulder very slowly at the lower 



CANTON, 37 

end, and are marked with graduated wires, telling 
how many hours and days they will bum. 

At the Temple of Longevity we saw an immense 
gilt image, termed the "Laughing Buddha," sitting 
back in a great armchair, jolly and fat, and appar- 
ently enjoying himself hugely. 

The temples of Canton have a substantial and 
sober look, but are not usually so attractive as those 
in other countries of the " Far East" They are 
built of lead-colored bricks, and their tiled roofs are 
ornamented with dragons and gilt devices. 

The Chinese worship less at their temples than 
other Orientals, but more at their household shrines 
and tablets found scattered throughout the city. 
Every evening the tapers are lighted, and the joss 
paper burnt before the shrines at the side of each 
doorway ; at twilight it' fairly makes the eyes smart 
to walk the streets while these numberless sticks 
of incense are burning. 

One of the most characteristic temples in the 
city is called the " Five Hundred Disciples of Bud- 
dha," and is noted for its wealth and extensive pa- 
tronage. The long hall, or temple, contains five 
hundred life-size images, ranged upon elevated plat- 
forms; no two are alike, and such a variety of 
expressions and costumes it would be difficult to 



33 FJiOAf HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

describe. Some of the faces are stern and stoical, 
others are comical and merry ; a few represent war- 
riors, with spears and bows, and others symbolize 
the saints, with golden halos around their heads. 
But confusion reigned in the hall as Rev. Mr. Nevin 
and myself entered it, for "house-cleaning" seemed 
to be the order of the day. A Chinese contractor 
had engaged to regild the images which had become 
dingy and dusty with age. The process cost several 
thousand dollars ; but this amount was paid by the 
wealthy patrons of the temple and the worshippers 
who resorted thither with their ancestral offerings. 
The scale upon which repairs and improvements 
were carried on at this temple showed that pagan- 
i<!m wfl.i not passing into very rapid decline in that 

he feelings of sadness with which we wit- 
e evidence and strength of foolish super- 
uld not but be mixed with a sense of the 
I, as we saw scores of these old and grim- 
mages sprawling around on the floor, or 
over on their backs, preparatory to the 
f scraping and regilding. Most of these 
e made of clay, others of wood, and not a 
irved in the most grotesque attitudes, ren- 
the more striking by their being tempora- 



CANTON, 39 

rily and unceremoniously upset. One colossal idol ^ 
lay on his back, with his heels kicking in the air, 
while another crouched in the corner with his big 
fists pressed against his stomach, and an indescri- 
bable expression of agony on his face, as though he 
had been seized with a spell of colic ! Still a third 
had fallen upon his nose, while near him a group of 
hideous fellows had been rolled together, and were 
vainly striving to stand on their heads. Near the 
doorway two or three of the most comical images 
had been seated on stools, and were being brushed 
and scraped. One of these held his knee in his 
hand, and wore a dubious expression of fear and 
pain upon his freshly-rubbed face. 

We asked the men scraping the images whether 
their gods ever " squealed " or made a fuss in being 
scrubbed and scraped and rolled about on the floor. 
They laughingly replied that the spirits had " gone 
away to heaven " for a little while, until the cleaning 
and regilding were finished ; then they would come 
back again ! We quoted the iiSth Psalm to them, 
about the foolishness of having gods with eyes that 
see not, mouths that speak not, ears that hear not, 
and noses that smell not, etc. ; and we told the men 
that **they that make them are like unto them." 
But they laughed and continued scraping ;.for, like 




40 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

Demetrius the silversmith, they "got much gain 
by this craft." 

On the south side of the river are the extensive 
and beautiful grounds of the Temple of Honam, cov- 
ering six acres, and occupied by one hundred and 
fifty priests. This temple was founded in the year 
1600. It is approached from the river bank through 
a long avenue of shady banyan and cotton-wood 
trees. Two gateways are passed before reaching 
the main temple, where three gilt Buddhas are 
seated. Near it is a marble pagoda, and behind 
the labyrinth of buildings there is a curious stone 
court, where " sacred " pigs, ducks, hens, and other 
creatures live at their ease and grow fat. It is a 
virtue, according to the Buddhist doctrine, to save 
or preserve life, even of the lower animals. If one 
rescues a pig, therefore, from being butchered, and 
places it where it will be well cared for, the act is 
commendable and pleasing to the gods. Attached 
to the temple is a large garden, where flowers are 
cultivated and dwarfed trees are trained into curi-^ 
ous shapes, resembling men, junks, and animals. 

Beyond the garden is a path leading to a seclu- 
ded spot, where cremation is performed for priests 
only. The cremation-furnace is a square brick hut, 
with domelike top, having a large hole for a chim- 



CANTON, 41 

hey, and openings below to increase the draught. 
After a body has been burned, the calcined bones 
and ashes are carefully collected in an earthen jar, 
and deposited in a temporary receiving vault. I 
went into this vault, the door of which is left swing- 
ing open, as no Chinaman would dare molest "dead 
men's bones." Here were wooden shelves, upon 
which were placed two or three dozen jars contain- 
ing preserved priests! Some of these jars were 
sealed with clay and lime, and had the names of 
the priests upon them, with the date of their death 
and cremation ; others were open to the air. Ta- 
king down one or two jars, I put my hand in and 
took out some of the clean white ash and fragments 
of calcined bone. The bones were perfectly clean, 
but crumbled easily. When a sufficient number of 
jars have accumulated in this vault, they are taken 
and emptied into one common sarcophagus. Sev- 
eral of these stand near the cremation furnace; 
they are twelve feet high, eight feet in iiiameteri, 
and are like colossal urns. Each maus^uni^ rep- 
resents many defunct generations of priests; 'fo^ itf 
requires the bones and ashes left from Jiun^retfe <^ 
cremation fires to fill one large vault. Th^ are 
tightly sealed, to protect the ashes from moisture^ 
and the air. 

Hong-Kon?, etc. C 






42 FJ^OM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

Of the one hundred temples in Canton, that of 
Honam is the most celebrated for its historical 
associations and the beauty of its grounds. 

There is nothing so interesting in Canton, how- 
ever, as Canton itself. The streams of people pour- 
ing through the streets are an endless source of 
study. In other cities of the world the number of 
human beings often excites one's amazement ; but 
in Canton the thoroughfares are so narrow and the 
population so compact, that the people simply 
swarm to and fro from morning till night. They 
are all dressed alike, or so nearly so, that fashion has 
little chance for change. The Chinese dress about 
the same from year to year and century to century. 
The plain blue blouse, the black plaited queue and 
dangling tassel, the smoothly-shaven head and blue ' 
silk cap, the little fan in hand, and noiseless shoes 
on the feet, are all that constitute the essential cos- 
tume of the upper classes. The coolies and lower 
classes are more poorly clad, and their heads are * 
not shaven so neatly ; but none of them go ' so: , 
nearly naked as the corresponding classes among 
the Japanese. 

The means of locomotion in Canton are decided- 
ly limited. No omnibuses, horse-cars, carriages, or ~ 
vehicles of any sort are to be seen; not even a 



y 



CANTON, 45 

truck or cart for carrying merchandise. The streets 
are too narrow to admit of any wheeled vehicles 
whatever ; the aristocracy are carried, therefore, in 
sedan-chairs, and all goods are transported on the 
shoulders of men. 

In China, coolies are cheaper than horses, and 
human labor replaces that of the beast of burden. 
The only conveyances I ever noticed (for city 
travel) were the rude wheelbarrows of Shanghai — 
like the one that is seen in the accompanying 
picture. Here a sort of framework is built over 
the clumsy wooden wheel, upon which one or two 
persons may sit as comfortably as the jolting char- 
acter of the cart will admit. A strap passing over 
the coolie's shoulder is attached to the handles of 
the wheelbarrow. This primitive method of " get- 
ting around" is more convenient than would at 
first appear, though not nearly so pleasant as the 
Japanese jin-riki-sha (or one-man-power carriage), 
which is being slowly introduced at Shanghai. As 
for railroads in China, the people still have a strong 
prejudice against their introduction, and it will 
probably be a long time before royal permission is 
freely granted for their construction. 

In " shopping " at Canton, the tourist finds stores 
of one sort grouped together in the same street. 



46 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

For example, an entire street is given up to the 
beautiful jade-stone ornaments, which are a spe- 
cialty in this place ; necklaces, bracelets, earrings, 
and exquisite carved work, made of agate, crystal, 
and jade-stone, are exposed for sale in great pro- 
fusion. 

Jade is very hard and heavy, difficult to cut, and 
very expensive. It is sawed into circular pieces by 
means of a Bne wire, and is the most fashionable 
article of jewelry among the Canton belles ; the 
most popular color being that which shades from 
milky white to clear green. 

Another street was devoted to silk-weaving es- 
tablishments, where the most exquisite patterns and 
colors were produced from the rudest sort of ma- 
chines. The looms were located in the basement 
of the shop, as the dampness of the ground is said 
to impart a peculiar gloss to the silk. One opera- 
tor sat in a square hole in the ground and guided 
the threads, while another sat among the intricate 
maze of sticks, shuttles, and silk threads, the move- 
ments of which he directed with hands and feet over 
the first operator. 

based two pairs of silk slippers, which 
St brilliant in color and design we had 
We also invested, before leaving Can? 



CANTON, 47 

ton, in some beautiful " bird's-beak jewelry," and a 
few " bird's-nests" (at 50 cts. apiece), from which the 
Chinese make their famous bird's-nest soup. 

The jewelry is carved, in the form of breastpins, 
earrings, etc., from the beak of a large bird found in 
the East Indies. The color of the beak is of deep 
amber or light orange, and the delicate workman- 
ship far exceeds any carvings in ivory. Flowers, 
figures, and artistic devices are produced with ex- 
quisite effect, and sometimes the whole forehead 
and beak are carved in one elaborate design of 
temples and picturesque landscapes. 

The " bird's-nests" purchased were not composed 
of sticks and straw, as some people may suppose, 
but consisted of a whitish sort of gelatine, brittle to 
the touch, insipid in taste, and about the size and 
shape of an ordinary clam-shell. These nests are 
found attached to the most inaccessible cliffs and 
rocks among the islands of the south China Sea, 
and are obtained with great difficulty by suspend- 
ing men and boys by ropes over the cliffs. After 
gathering the nests, they are carefully cleansed by 
picking off all the bits of feathers, etc., and are 
shipped to Canton, where the wealthy epicures pur- 
chase them, and make the soup which they con- 
sider a great delicacy. We did not make soup of 



48 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

our bird's-nests, however; first, because it would 

..not aKn.if five dollars to make an average-sized dish ; 

y, because we could have produced a 

with five cents' worth of gelatine and 

onary friend frequently offered to treat 
lyside to various culinary commodities, 

sale in the restaurants, or boiling in 

front of the shops. I usually declined 
d reserve on finding that the tempting 
ist pork, as they appeared to be, were 
)f canine " bowwows" already cooked ; 

other appeti^ng advertisements, sus- 
ront of the "restaurant," were large 
ly caught, skinned, cooked, and hung 
' their tails. Snakes, " nicely browned," 
:en occasionally, instead of eels ; but 
ing these slight " peculiarities " of 
irkets of Canton were unusually well 

clean. 

outhern side of the city is a manufac- 
on ginger and preserved sweetmeats, 
ng some purchases, the proprietor 
the most delicious "samples" of pre- 
, plums, citrons, syrups, and delicate 

served up in tiny little saucers. We 



CANTON. 49 

smacked our lips over the discovery that Canton 
offers greater delicacies than rats and canines, and 
that, after all, its bill of fare may suit the most fas- 
tidious taste. Much of this ginger is exported to 
England and America. 

To stroll through the streets day after day, and 
watch the interesting processes and industries al- 
ways going on, was a continual source of amuse- 
ment and instruction. The glassblowers were spe- 
cially expert in their art, and fashioned ships, trees, 
and birds, with great dexterity, handling the most 
fragile articles of glass as though they were made 
.of iron. 

The great varieties of porcelain and ceramic 
ware, and carved ivory and ebony, would repay 
hours of study. The silks, crapes, and embroider- 
ies, were of the most ingenious patterns and deli- 
cate texture. Goldbeaters, crystal carvers, block 
and type cutters, lacquer-ware manufacturers, and 
scores of other employments, kept one's powers of 
observation exercised continually. 

One street was devoted to the sale of incense- 
sticks and sandal-wood; another was lined with 
coffin-shops. Chinese coffins of peculiar construc- 
tion were displayed. They were formed of four 
thick slabs of wood, rounded on the outer surface 



50 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA VAS. 

and strongly fastened together. They were made 
airtight, for the bodies are frequently kept a long 
time before burial, until some " fung-shui," or "lucky 
spot," for interment is found. Near the coflSn-sbop 
street is a district where the dyeing process is ap- 
propriately conducted (!), and beyond this is the 
street occupied by blacksmith -shops. To go 
through this latter street at night was to enter a 
perfect pandemonium of sights and sounds. Bla- 
zing fires and blast-furnaces were in full operation, 
and red-hot bars of iron emitted a dazzling bright- 
ness as they were withdrawn from the glowing fur- 
naces. In the midst of the smoke and showers of 
sparks were the begrimed bodies of naked China^ 
men, shining with perspiration, blackened with 
soot, and dancing like demons, while they struck 
scores of blows per minute upon the red-hot bars 
of iron. , 

With the exception of this neighborhood, the 
great city presents at night an appearance of com- 
plete silence and solitude, in strange contrast to 
the busy hum and life of the daytime. No noisy 
promenading or boisterous behavior is possible, and 
the burglars have a poor chance in Canton. Soon 
after sundown, the narrow streets, in the business 
part of the city, are blockaded by upright bars and 



CANTON, 51 

fences placed at intervals of half a square or so, and 
utterly impassable to the late pedestrian, until he 
has rapped on the bars and told the Tartar watch- 
man who approaches what his name is and whither 
he is going ; then the functionary slowly opens the 
gate and allows him to pass. The stillness of the 
streets at night becomes almost oppressive. A 
mile may be gone over, at a late hour, without 
meeting a person, except the lonely watchmen, 
with their dark lanterns and long sticks ; and the 
benighted and belated traveller is kept waiting at 
successive gates, until his patience is well nigh 
exhausted, before the guard comes and permits him 
to pass. His feet echo on the stone pavement, 
under which the hollow drains are placed. The 
houses and shops are all closed with tightly-fitting 
shutters. Here and there a light glimmers through 
the cracks, a»d subdued sounds may be heard, 
either of Chinese voices, or of work that is still 
going on within. A strip of sky is seen above the 
irregular line of roofs, and a few stars twinkle over- 
head. The brick walls and wooden shutters rise 
up on either hand, and in front of each doorway a 
taper, or incense-stick, is burning before the house- 
hold shrine, in which a little image of the god of 
wealth, or of mercy, sits, and before whom packs of 

Hong-Kong, etc. 6 



52 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

firecrackers have been exploded at sundown, the 
remains of which still clutter the sidewalk. 

These dumb images and burning tapers are the 
only things to be seen by the wayside, and a stran- 
ger would never suppose, while walking these de- 
serted streets at night, that he was in the very heart 
of the most populous city of the Chinese Empire. 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 53 



CHAPTER III. 

PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, AND EXCURSIONS IN 

CHINA. 

The French heroine Madame Roland, when 
led to the guillotine, exclaimed, " O Liberty ! what 
crimes are committed in thy name !" The sorrow- 
ful truth thus expressed finds a fitting counterpart 
in the groans of the wretched captives, who, wait- 
ing in the loathsome prisons of Canton, come forth 
at last to the torturing ordeal of the mandarin who 
sits sternly in the "Hall of Justice," and renders 
it the opposite of all that its name would rightly 
imply. 

The Chinese people designate their prisons as 
" Hells," and woe to the poor creatures thrown into 
them, whether they deserve their fate or not. 

I gained access to some of these prisons, and 
also inspected the torturing tribunal, the^ execution 
ground, the place of burial for criminals, and other 
localities, illustrating the means and ends of such 
justice as the vicinity of Canton affords. The first 
place visited was the receiving cell, where prisoners 
are incarcerated previous to their being brought 



54 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

forth for " trial." I was accompanied in my explo- 
rations by Dr. Kerr of Canton. We found a cage- 
like den with blackened bars, so deep and dark that 
it was difficult to see into it. But the jailer pulled 
back the rusty bolt, and I entered the cell, when 
my friend playfully turned the key of the lock upon 
me. In an instant I found myself surrounded by a 
crowd of fifty or sixty wretched-looking men, near- 
ly as naked as they were bom, who were aston- 
ished at the ingress of such an unwonted visitor 
from the outside world, and began amusing them- 
selves by fingering me all over, to see what I was 
made of. The sultry, pent-up atmosphere of the 
place was very oppressive, and it was no wonder 
the poor fellows were unable to keep any clothes 
on. The room, or rather den, was twenty feet 
square, so that the inmates could scarcely lie down 
on the dirty floor. Black brick walls were on three 
sides, and a little hole in the roof, formed by re- 
moving two bricks, was supposed to admit light 
Heavy wooden bars served as a grating, through 
which a little air and a glimmer of daylight were 
admitted. Here the prisoners, arrested on sus- 
picion only, are left in close confinement, bewailing 
their fate until brought before the mandarin for 
examination. This judicial farce is conducted with- 



I- 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. $5 

in an open court, situated close to the Kwong-chau- 
Fu, or local governor's Yamun. 

The coui:tyard for the trial of criminals is sixty 
feet long, enclosed on all sides, and has a roof at 
the farther end, under which the judge and his 
assistants sit ; numerous secretaries and reporters 
are also ranged on either side, law-books are scat- 
tered about on the tables, waiters are in attendance, 
executioners squat sullenly near the wall, and every- 
thing is conducted with silent deliberation. 

As we entered the judgment-hall four persons 
were kneeling before the mandarin's table, two of 
them having iron chains wound about their necks ; 
the latter had just been suffering some severe or- 
deal, and the various implements of torture were 
close at hand. Bamboo rods bent double were 
hanging on the wall, and were evidently well used ; 
ropes, thumbscrews, grooved sticks for pinching 
ankles and fingers, heavy iron chains for kneeling 
upon, and large wooden frames, or canques, with 
holes in the centre, through which the heads of 
culprits are thrust, form the ordinary furniture of 
these judicial halls. 

The article most in use was a narrow bench of 
thick wood, through which two holes were bored, 
one at each end : the accused is placed on this, his 



1 



$6 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

pigtail pulled through one hole, and a rope pushed 
through the other ; his legs are then drawn up by 
the rope, so as to bend and cramp them, and he is 
enjoined to " suffer or confess." 

Some of the charges brought against the cul- 
prits were of a novel character. One young fellow 
was accused of disobeying his parents : he plead 
guilty and begged for mercy. The judge sentenced 
him to fifty blows with the bamboo and a short 
term of imprisonment. 

Even the death penalty is not unfrequently pro- 
nounced in China for continued disobedience to 
parents ; and I was told of one incorrigible youth, 
who, after repeated disobedience and unfilial con- 
duct, was publicly drowned by his parents in the 
river. Respect to parents, and reverence for one's 
ancestors, are the primary requirements of civil 
and religious life in China ; and the politeness and 
deference resulting from it, among all classes of 
Chinese youth, might with profit be emulated by 
the " Young America " of our own clime. 

The canque, or wooden collar, is not very pain- 
ful, but decidedly disagreeable : one fellow we met 
looked as if his head were stuck through the mid- ' 
die of a barn-door. The wearer cannot feed him- 
self, is unable to lie down, and though he looks 






PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. S7 

comical enough, his condition becomes, after many 
days, quite a poor joke, at least for him. 

In Chinese law, the accused is presumed to be 
guilty unless he can prove his innocence ; this is 
just the contrary to our ideas of law, in which a 
man is treated as innocent until he is proved guilty. 
No criminal can be condemned, however, until he 
confesses his crime. Of course, he will not confess 
if he can possibly avoid it ; torture is therefore em- 
ployed to help his judges in the matter. 

Truthfulness is not a very prominent element 
in the Chinese character, especially when personal 
interest would suffer thereby ; and the argument 
for torturing them is, that it is the only way to ex- 
tort from- them a confession. That the innocent 
are sometimes unjustly forced to confess themselves 
guilty cannot be doubted ; but — ^as the commission 
of crime makes men cowardly — the guilty will usu- 
ally give up, while the innocent hold out. Much 
depends, however, on the nerve and endurance of 
the unlucky victim. 

The prisons proper are of considerable extent, 
for many criminals are sent up to Canton from the 
interior of the country, and large accommodations 
are required. The main prison is situated on the 
" Street of Benevolence and Love," but is, on the 



SS FROM HONG'KOXG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

whole, as unlovely a place as one could easily 
imagine. There is no regular building, but simply 
a vast collection of brick walls and huts. 

The rooms of the jailers and turnkeys are near 
the entrance, and seem dismal and comfortless; 
narrow passages lead from them to smaller courts, 
paved with stone, containing cage-like stalls. These 
stalls contain fifteen or twenty men apiece, and in 
them they eat, sleep, and cook their own food. The 
doors are open in the daytime, and locked at night 
The prisoners came streaming out of the stalls with 
their chains clanking on the stones, and were quite 
as free in gazing at us as we were in looking at 
them. Some were "hard cases," and their shackles 
seemed quite becoming ; while others were pleas- 
ant and harmless, and appeared out of place in such 
an abode. Their cells contain a few raised boards, 
on which they sleep, and one or two cooking imple- 
ments. In each courtyard there is a well, and the 
open spaces contain little contrivances by means of 
which the more industrious are enabled to pursue 
such work as they have skill for, and they can thus 
get the means of improving their condition. 

The extortions practised upon prisoners by their 
jailers for the purpose of making money out of 
them, are quite common. Torture is frequently 



■*~- - "I I Mi^^rfn^tf 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 59 

resorted to, and if the victim is known to be a per- 
son of any means, he must finally succumb to what- 
ever demands are made upon him. The processes 
are various for reducing him to terms. Sometimes 
he is " put to bed," which means laid flat upon a 
plank platform, with grooved boards pressed upon 
the neck, wrists, and ankles, and fastened tightly 
through holes beneath the "bed;" a long stick 
projects against the chin, throwing the head back, 
and in this condition he passes as many nights as 
his jailer pleases. For daytime amusement he is 
slung up on a horizontal bar by strings attached to 
his toes and thumbs. He may also kneel upon bits 
of broken crockery, holding his arms at right angles 
to his body ; when the arms can be held out no lon- 
ger, he gets a bamboo beating for letting them fall 
down. 

Prisoners who are poor and have no friends are 
stinted in their rations almost to starvation : nomi- 
nally they should be allowed three pounds of rice 
per day, but the jailer gives them about a third of 
it, and steals the rest. Persons who have friends 
and means to aid them are treated with more con- 
sido'ation. 

Some apartments of the prison were evidently 
occupied by individuals of the better class, and 

Hong-Kong, etc 7 . 



6o FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

more liberty was allowed them ; while other por- 
tions were crowded with large numbers o£ chatter- 
ing creatures, to whom the advent of a foreigner 
was evidently a great and unexpected novelty. 

The compartments assigned for women were 
smaller than those for men, and were not so well 
filled. Some of the female prisoners were very 
respectable, and all took their fate resignedly, occu- 
pying their time as best they could. 

One old woman, who was known to my compan- 
ion, we found lying sick and weak upon her bed of 
boards in one of the cage-like cells. She was a rel- 
ative of the chief in the Tai-Ping rebellion, and sole- 
ly for this reason she and her family were seized 
and thrown into prison, though none of them were 
engaged in the rebellion itself. For twenty years 
she has lingered in the dreary hole in which we saw 
n also was in a neighboring prison, and 
ttle hope that either of them would ever 

msoners are condemned to death, they 
are not notified until an hour before the 
akes place. They are then marched to 
Yamun, or Governor's Office, where the 
mt is exhibited. Immediately their arms 
re pinioned, they are placed in baskets 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS, 6i 

slung upon poles, and carried by coolies to the exe- 
cution ground. This is located in the midst of the 
new city, with a dense population about it. The 
open space is not fifty yards long, and is eight yards 
wi^e at one end, and less than five at the other ; yet 
this miserable patch of earth has soaked up the 
blood of more victims than any spot of equal size the 
world over. The number who have from time to 
time perished here is simply incredible. In 1855 it 
is reported that not less than fifty thousand rebels 
were beheaded, and within more recent years the 
average annual executions have reached nearly fif- 
teen hundred. The greater part of the sufferers 
have been members of the land-banditti gangs and 
river pirates, and many are those who formerly be- 
longed to the forces of the Tai-Ping rebels, and 
have since lived among the mountain fastnesses 
as professional brigands. Ordinary criminals con- 
demned for murder, robbery, arson, or other offen- 
ces, are carried to the grounds with a stick placed 
in their hair, on which is a piece of paper marked 
with their name, crime, and penalty. From twenty 
to forty persons are usually dealt with at once. 

The method in which they are conducted to the 
place of execution is thus described by the local 
guide-book : " Two magistrates precede the mourn- 



1 



62 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

ful procession, and take their seats in front of a 
shop which faces the execution ground, while the 
coolies, hurrying up the narrow passage, succes- 
sively jerk their burdens on the ground and retire. 
In the twinkling of an eye the sufferers are ranged 
in ouQ or more rows, kneeling, the ligatures of the 
arms and legs causing the head to be stretched out 
almost horizontally. Not a sound is uttered, nor 
does the movement of a muscle betray, in most 
. cases, the slightest consciousness of the fate im- 
pending over the silent pile. An assistant nms 
rapidly along the line, bringing each neck into the 
most effective position, and snatching away the 
ticket with which each man is marked. 

" In less than a minute from the time the pro- 
cession first appears on the scene, the order to pro- 
ceed with the execution is given from the magis- 
trate's bench, by loudly shouting the command, 
' Pan * (execute !), and with the rapidity of thought 
the dull, crashing blows of the headsman's sword 
are heard falling along the line. 

"A Cantonese executioner seldom requires to 
give a second stroke to sever the head completely 
from the body. 

. " In as many seconds as there are criminals to 
despatch, the inanimate bodies and gaping heads 



F-^-^' 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 63 

of the guilty wretches are lying bathed in pools of 
gore. Another quarter of an hour suffices to re- 
move the bodies in rough coffins to the criminal 
burying-ground outside the East Gate, the heads 
being usually carried off in cages, to be suspended 
in various localities, where the crime for which each 
suffered was committed." 

There is a pottery warehouse at the side of the 
grounds, and when the executions are completed, 
potters continue their work, and fill up the space 
with their f reshly.made ware. 

While thus encumbered with pottery, one would 
scarcely suspect that he stood on such an Acelda- 
ma of bloody associations. On groping along the 
wall, however, earthen jars may be seen, some of 
them containing heads all clotted and wet, and 
other jars are sealed up. 

One of my friends happened in this enclosure 
one day when forty criminals were brought in for 
execution. He turned pde and felt very nervous, 
and tried to get out ; but the gate was so quickly 
closed, that he was obliged to stand there and in- 
voluntarily witness the awful sight. In an incredi- 
bly short time forty heads lay gaping on the ground ; 
the gate was then opened, and the bodies were 
quickly removed. 



64 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

After inspecting the torturing hall and the 
execution grounds, we visited the " Temple of 
Horrors," where various states of torment, in the 
hell, are depicted with tragical effect. 
at this temple is guardian of the city ; the 
tfe visited by multitudes who offer their 
md keep busy the pedlers, fortunetellers, 
:ks, who frequent the placa Near the 
the stalls are ranged, representing various 
punishment in the next world, prepared 
nfaithfu! who do not worship Buddha, pay 
;ts, and offer prayers and incense. The 
depicts the process of transmigration, in 
;n are turning into dogs, foxes, goats, and 
The manner in which their horns, hair, 
begin to grow is ludicrous. 
e second, a man is being ground up in a 
tnd the blood is spurting over the sida 
[lird, an unfortunate individual is boiling 
oil, while two or three fiends stir him up, 
another is being placed under a red-hot 
heading, beating, and sawing a man be- 
o upright boards, are other forms of pun- 
In most of the scenes, devils and demons 
ng the guilty victims down a hill to their 
! doom, while the faithful are escaping and 



prisons; EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS, 65 

following the shaven-headed priests to the realms 
of Buddha. 

A large image of the "Goddess of Mercy** 
stands on the other side of the temple and in front 
of the altar. I waited, and watched the manner in 
which prayers were offered. A poor woman knelt 
upon the floor, and took up two oval pieces of wood 
lying at the foot of the altar, which fitted together 
in the shape of an egg. After repeating a certain 
number of prayers, she threw the two oval pieces 
upon the floor. Both of them fell flat-side up, show- 
ing' the answer to be neither negative nor affirma- 
tive. More prayers, and more tapers of incense 
were lighted,^^ and then she threw them down again. 
This time one fell flat-side down and the other flat- 
side up. This answer was satisfactory, but the 
woman, to make it doubly sure, shook a dozen in- 
cense-sticks in a bamboo case until one jumped 
out ; this she carried to the priest for an interpre- 
tation of its meaning. 

Some of the grim-looking idols have bits of red 
paper pasted over them, with names inscribed on 
each ; these papers were placed there by parents, 
who thus .presented their children to the care and 
guardianship of their favorite deity. 

The "Temple of Horrors," lik^ the prison 



66 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

and torturing hall, is located on the "Street of 
Benevolence and Love !" and most of the streets in 
the neighborhood have similar inconsistencies in 
their nomenclature. The street of "Refreshing 
Breezes " is narrow, close, and perfumed with a va- 
riety of odors. The street of " Accumulated Bless- 
ings " did not show any extraordinary evidence of 
affluence ; but " Old Clothes " street was true to its 
name, and had foreign goods in addition. The 
street of "Ninefold Brightness" was dark and 
dingy; and "Ascending Dragon" street sent up 
enough firecracker-smoke to float two or three 
dragons. "Great Peace" street possessed a pep- 
permint shop and distillery ; and the avenue of a 
"Thousand Beatitudes" exhibited, sufficient pov- 
erty and distress to use up all the imaginary bless- 
ings which the name implied. The number of 
babies and children playing about in the " Street of 
One Thousand Grandsons" showed that socially 
this prolific title was not inappropriately applied. 

In the southeastern comer of the old city is an 
immense enclosure known as " Examination HalL" 
Here triennial examinations are held, and ten thou- 
sand students, not unf requently, present themselves 
at once, from different parts of the empire. There 
are 9,537 stalls, where the contestants are separately 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 67 

confined during the examinations. At the farther 
end of the grounds are rooms where 3,000 officials, 
copyists, police, and servants, may be accommoda- 
ted. These rooms have high-sounding titles, simi- 
lar to the streets. At the " Hall of Perfect Hon- 
esty " essays are handed in. At the " Hall of Re- 
straint " the titlepage of each essay is sealed. The 
multitude of essays are finally examined in the 
** Hall of Auspicious Stars ;" here are private apart- 
ments for the imperial commissioners, the governor, 
the assistant examiners, and the scribes and copy- 
ists. A temple of Confucius, a library of Chinese 
classics, and a gate of literature are on the grounds. 
The " Examination Hall " covers several acres, and 
is the most extensive institution of the kind in the 
world. The students, who congregate here once in 
three years, are of all ages, young and old. They 
have already passed one examination in their own 
provinces, and here they come to be tested for the 
second degree. Each applicant is stripped, searched, 
and placed in a brick stall scarcely four feet square ; 
two plain boards serve as a table and seat. Pen, 
ink, and paper are furnished him, and a subject, or 
series of questions in Chinese classics, assigned, 
upon which an essay must be prepared. One day 
and night are allowed for writing. During this time 

Hong-Kong, etc. S 



68 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

no communication is permitted with the outside 
world, and the diet is just sufficient to keep the 
candidate from starving. There are three sessions, 
with three days' interval between. The endless 
series of stalls, located on either side of the long^ 
stone walk, are kept quiet and closely guarded, 
while the busy workers within are silently preparing 
their essays. In the final examination of the essays, 
the standard is very severe ; a mistake in a single 
character is sufficient to cause the whole to be re- 
jected. It is said that, out of the ten thousand con- 
testants, only seventy-five can secure the coveted 
degree. The remaining nine thousand, nine hun- 
dred and twenty-five must go back disappointed. 
The names of the successful students are publicly 
announced, with marked demonstrations of honor 
and respect. They are afterwards sent to Pekin, 
where a third competitive examination must b^ 
passed, which of course thins their ranks still 
more. The few, who finally get through this three- 
fold ordeal, are admitted to the highest literary 
class, from which all government appointments are 
made. 

China is perhaps the only countr}'^ possessing a 
literary aristocracy ; only those who have passed 
these examinations are eligible to public office. It 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS, 69 

has been suggested that this system of civil service 
might profitably be introduced into our own coun- 
try ; and when candidates for political office swarm 
at Washington, after a presidential election, they 
should be shut up and fed on bread and water for 
a few days, until they prove themselves capable 
of filling satisfactorily * the positions so loudly 
claimed ! 

At a conference of missionaries in Canton, the 
proposition was made of preparing a brief state- 
ment of the doctrines of Christianity, in the form 
of a Chinese tract, and circulating it among the 
thousands of students who would attend the next 
triennial examination. Many of the most intelli- 
gent men, from remote sections of the country, 
would thereby be reached and influenced, and they 
could carry the tracts to their homes and to the 
people of their own provinces. 

The English and American missionaries at Can- 
ton seemed to me deeply in earnest in their work, 
yet gravely conscious of the extreme difficulties in 
their way in winning the Chinese to an intelligent 
acceptance of Christianity. The customs and ideas 
of paganism have had such full sway for scores of 
centuries, and the Chinese character is naturally so 
conservative, that progress in changing the prevail- 



70 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MA LA YAS, 

ing religious sentiment of the country is exceed- 
ingly slow. 

China stands as chief patriarch in the family of 
nations ; she has a history dating back to the time 
of the Deluge, and possesses a literature which 
flourished before the art of printing was known in 
Europe. The extent of her territory is larger than 
that of our own republic, and her population may 
be nearly ten times that of the United States. Her 
people are proud of their history and antiquity, as 
well as of their magnificent geographical facilities. 
Their country produces all that their frugal wants 
require, and they are in nowise dependent upon 
western nations. In ancient times the Chinese 
named their country the " Middle Kingdom," sup- 
posing (as the Romans did of the Mediterranean) 
that it was the middle of the earth. Confucius, the 
great Chinese sage, was contemporary with Socra- 
tes ; and his teachings have influenced the mind 
and moulded the character of the Chinese during 
the past twenty centuries. Chinese civilization is 
peculiar, when contrasted with Occidental ideas ; 
yet it has served its purpose well, and the people 
look with suspicion upon whatever threatens to dis- 
turb their social or religious system. It should not 
surprise us, therefore, that missions make little 



•A- ^ .^- 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 71 

jjrogress at first, when we consider how reserved, 
conservative, and unsympathetic the Chinese are, 
compared with some other nations of the East 

Rev. Mr. Preston took me to his preaching-ser- 
vice in a small hall on one of the principal streets. 
As soon as the doors were open, the people, attract- 
ed by curiosity, came in and seated themselves. 
He preached to them earnestly in the Chinese lan- 
guage, and was followed by a Chinese assistant, 
who continued the preaching an hour or so after 
we went away. Mr. Preston spoke the difficult lan- 
guage with wonderful facility, and I judge with 
accuracy ; he had labored here for over sixteen 
years, and told me he expected to work on in the 
same way until the end. Since my leaving Canton 
he has been taken away by death ; he was greatly 
respected by all who knew him. 

Dr. Happer has a large Presbyterian chapel in 
the city, where Sabbath service in the Chinese lan- 
guage is regularly conducted. The chapel was well 
filled, and the services were solemn and impressive. 
All the men sat on one side of the room, and the 
women on the other; they were screened from 
each other by a wooden partition passing down the 
centre of the chapel. This was rendered necessary 
by Chinese etiquette and ideas of propriety. It 



72 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS, 

was a little novel to a new-comer, however, and I 
once took my seat innocently, by mistake, on the 
wrong side of the room ! Seeing the Chinese ladies 
.somewhat astonished, I made a dignified retreat, 
and was safely piloted to the proper side by a fair 
member of Dr. Happer's interesting family. The 
singing (considering the difficulties experienced in 
teaching music to the Chinese) was very fine, and 
the whole spirit of the service was beautiful. Other 
services, which I also attended, at the Wesleyan 
chapel and the English Missions, were interesting 
and encouraging, and showed that substantial mis- 
sionary work was really being accomplished 

A work which greatly interested me in Canton, 
was the Medical Mission carried on by Dr. Kerr, 
and combining the benefits of the highest surgical 
skill with the free presentation of the gospel. The 
medical hospital was established by Dr. Peter Par- 
ker in 1839, ^^^ ^s largely supported by the foreign 
residents of Canton. It is greatly appreciated by 
the Chinese, whose knowledge of surgery is entirely 
inadequate to cope with certain prevailing forms of 
disease. I frequently went through the plainly-fur- 
nished wards of the hospital, and also witnessed 
many severe surgical operations. Cancerous and 
syphilitic complaints were very common, and the 



PRISONSy EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS, 73 

surgeon's knife was kept in constant use ; but the 
unfortunates usually suffered with fortitude and 
patience. Chloroform was given in extreme cases, 
and the surprise and gratitude of each patient were 
great on waking up and finding that the terrible 
operation was all over. 

One woman, to whom I administered the anaes- 
thetic, while the doctor removed an unusually large 
cancer, was accompanied by her female friends, who 
stood in the courtyard holding up their hands tow- 
ards heaven and imploring the gods. On hearing 
that the operation was successful, their gratitude 
knew no bounds. Patients, after being healed, 
would manifest their thankfulness by bringing pres- 
ents and provisions to the doctor, whose larder was 
thereby kept well stocked. 

In passing through the woman's ward, I noticed 
some lady-like persons with "little feet," which 
were bound in the style prevalent among Chinese 
ladies. At my request, the doctor politely asked 
one of his fair friends to show me one of her feet ! 
He gravely explained to her that the modest exhi- 
bition would be a great novelty to me. She kindly 
handed me her shoe, which was about two and a 
half inches in length, and neatly embroidered. 
After removing her very ornamental, but peculiar- 



74 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

ly-shaped stocking, she proceeded slowly to un- 
wind the long black bandage with which her foot 
(or what remained of it) was tightly wound. The 
bandage was several yards in length, and under 
this were other colored strips. When all w^re re- 
moved, the foot had a wedge or stump-like appear- 
ance, that almost destroyed its identity. The heel 
was elongated, the instep highly arched, and the 
great toe was very prominent. The other toes 
were drawn in under the foot, and so tightly and 
perseveringly compressed, that the bones were ab- 
sorbed, and no vestige of the toes remained, but 
four flat pieces of skin. Although the foot was so 
small that one's hand could easily cover it, the 
ankle was proportionately thickened, and the whole 
had an appearance far from beautiful. This strange 
custom of " little feet " has prevailed in China for 
centuries. The painful process of binding the feet 
is commenced at six or seven years of age, when 
the child's foot is fully formed. The little girls 
present a pitiable sight, as they are sometimes seen 
on the street, richly dressed and attended by a ser- 
vant, but hobbling slowly along, crippled for life 
by this unnatural and cruel fashion. When the 
feet have been bound for several years, the young 
woman is forced to continue the habit; for the 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 7S 

under side of the foot is rendered so sensitive and 
pinched, that she cannot stand up when it is left 
unbound. 

Medical missions have proved a most effective 
means of reaching the respect and appreciation of 
the Chinese, and indeed of all the Asiatics. Mod- 
ern surgery and medicine may just as well go with 
the gospel, as the gift of healing went with the 
apostles. In the joint work of curing men's bodies 
and saving their souls, we have the example of the 
Great Physician, who not only taught the people, 
but " healed all their diseases." In presenting the 
benefits of modern surgical skill to the Chinese, we 
are all the better able to lead them into an accept- 
ance of the truth and teachings of Christianity. 
Connected with the dispensary is a chapel where 
preaching is conducted, while the patients and their 
friends are waiting. Their sense of gratitude for 
the kindness shown leads them to listen to the gos- 
pel gladly, because it has prompted such help and 
succor to their physical as well as their spiritual 
infirmities. 

While in Canton, the Chinese admiral made me 
several calls, and left his card, which was ten inches 
long, of bright red color, and had his name, ** Chow- 
Ching," inscribed upon it. He invited me with 

Hong-Kony, f-tc. Q 



76 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

much ceremony to visit his own house, where he 
wished to make many inquiries concerning the 
progress achieved by Japan in naval affairs during 
the past few years. War had very nearly arisen 
between the two countries, a short time before, on 
questions of dispute connected with the island of 
Formosa, and military and naval preparations had 
been made on a large scale. The war was happily 
averted, however, by Minister Okubo's skilful di- 
plomacy at Pekin. The admiral sent his sedan- 
chair for me, and another for my friend who was to 
act as interpreter. The eight bearers carried us 
briskly through the city, clearing the way through 
the narrow and crowded streets by a peculiar cry 
that the people seemed to understand, for they 
slipped out of the road and into the nooks and cor- 
ners with far more meekness and respect than 
would have manifested itself had we tried the same 
style of rapid transit through a crowd in Broadway, 
N. Y. ! The sedan-chairs were carried on elastic 
poles, which gave an easy, spri^nging motion as we 
jaunted along. The interior was furnished with 
silk curtains, bamboo slats, and a cosey little seat 
The occupant can look out upon the world, without 
himself being seen. 

Arriving at the admiral's house, we were ush- 



y.u 



9 



* C 



* ^ 



" *■ * 



c 
« 



<- " V , 



e 



f'- 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS, 79 

ered into a reception-room, and seated upon mar- 
ble-topped chairs, which were cool, but not Very- 
soft. Tea was served on ebony tables, richly carved, 
and tiny opium-pipes were offered ; these we gravely 
declined. After the admiral had introduced his 
sons and friends, we all chatted around a table in 
the library, eating fruit and picking nuts. The 
admiral seemed quite scientific in his tastes, and 
chemistry was his favorite topic, especially that 
portion of it that pertained to the manufacture of 
explosives. He induced me to give him the receipts 
of various dangerous compounds for torpedoes, 
shells, fuse-compositions, and pyrotechnic displays ; 
and if he ever succeeded in making them after- 
wards, without blowing himself up, he was more 
fortunate than I had frequently been in my own 
laboratory. In this particular he probably learned 
that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing !" 

After an hour spent in talking over scientific 
and military matters, the admiral conducted me 
through his house, showing everything I cared to 
see, and even frightening his wife and the women 
who occupied the rooms up stairs by allowing me 
to peep in upon them while they sat embroidering 
or engaged in sundry domestic operations. The 
timid ladies ran away as fast as their '''little feet" 



8o FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YA S, 

could carry them, and hid behind bureaus, bed- 
steads, and other articles of furniture ! The gen- 
eral appearance of a Chinese house is much more 
like the prevailing style in our own country than 
any Oriental residences I had seen. While the 
Japanese have no furniture whatever in their houses, 
the Chinese have their domestic arrangements very 
much like Europeans. The old admiral seemed to 
enjoy the fun of witnessing the astonishment and 
trepidation of the fairer members of his household 
as the unexpected visitor was presented to them. 
Notwithstanding his coaxing assurance that it was 
" all right," they fled from me as they would from a 
ghostly apparition. The sons of the admiral and 
their wives all lived under the same parental roof, 
and yet domestic felicity seemed to prevail. They 
were happy and harmonious, and when our visit was 
over we retained quite a pleasant impression of the 
sights and surroundings of Chinese domestic life. 

The country about Canton is so flat that foreign 
residents desiring a change from the sultry atmo- 
sphere of the city, are forced to go eighty miles up 
West River, where fresh mountain scenery and a 
beautiful waterfall may be found. The latter is 
located within a deep gorge, surrounded by verdure- 
covered cliffs. I took a week's excursion up the 



1 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS. 8i 

river in company with a missionary friend, and 
studied the various phases of Chinese country life 
on the way. 

The tourist, having in mind the immense popu- 
lation of China, is surprised at the unsettled appear- 
ance of the country along the shores of the great 
rivers. Villages are few and far between, and iso- 
lated farmhouses in this region scarcely seem to 
exist. The reason assigned is, that towns situated 
on the river-bank would be insecure, owing to their 
liability to piratical attacks. They are built, there- 
fore, well inland, and we could see their tiled roofs 
clustered among the trees, or on some strong and 
elevated position. Large districts are thus ren- 
dered little better than waste land ; and when the 
people are asked why they do not cultivate the 
fields or use the hills for pasture, the reply is that 
their cattle or sheep would be stolen, and their iso- 
lated farmhouses would be plundered. Suspicion 
and insecurity appear to be the prevailing feeling, 
and for this cause the Chinese crowd together in 
the cities, instead of scattering through the coun- 
try. They cultivate every scrap of earth near the 
large towns, and manage to eke out a miserable 
existence, while whole acres lie untouched not 
many miles away. If the peasantry were better 



82 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS, 

protected, and the farming districts were cultivated 
to their full extent, famine would not so frequently 
devastate and decimate the country. 

Lepers were seen occasionally, as we passed 
along the river bank. Not being allowed to live in 
the towns, they make little huts of branches and 
straw, and beg a few pence from boatmen and trav- 
ellers. We approached one lonely straw pile, that 
looked like a smalt haystack, from which a poor 
creature crawled out, extending his two stumps of 
hands for some pennies. His feet and hands were 
nearly gone, and his body was terribly emaciated, 
yet his face had a pleasant expression as he smiled 
and thanked us for the pennies we gave him. The 
leper village, which we had previously seen near 
Canton, contained scores of unfortunates,- who 
crowded around us and exhibited all the stages of 
their terrible disease. Their faces and bodies were 
horribly disfigured, and some had lost their ears, 
noses, arms, and feet, which drop off or become 
absorbed as the disease progresses. Many of the 
children were healthy and playful ; but their pa- 
rents were lepers, so it was deemed only a question 
of time when they would become the same. When- 
ever a case of leprosy is discovered in the city, the 
person is removed to the leper village, where he 



■*■ — — ■ I 






PRISONS, EXECUTIONS^ EXCURSIONS. 83 

must waste away his life with the slow and loath- 
some disease. 

As we approached the mountainous region near 
the waterfall, flocks of ducks and geese were seen, 
tejided by small boys with long sticks. Bunches of 
feathers were fastened to the end of each stick, for 
beating the ducks into the water and keeping them 
together. The ducks and geese are raised here in 
great numbers ; the eggs are hatched by artificial 
heat, and the little fowls and big ones are led about 
and watched over by "duck boys," as sheep are 
cared for by a shepherd. Sometimes they are kept 
in duck-boats, which are long and flat. In the day- 
time the boat is moored near the bank of the river, 
and the ducks go o£E among the irrigated rice-fields. 
At sundown the duck-boy gives a shrill whistle, 
and all the feathered flock come floundering and 
quacking through the mud, and then plunge into 
the river. After swimming awhile, they follow their 
leader in regular order, and march up an inclined 
board into the flat-boat. The boy then poles the 
duck-craft, with its cackling cargo, up the river to 
a place of safety. The following day the ducks go 
foraging again, and repeat the same swimming per- 
formance in the evening. 

The cattle in this region are as amphibious as 



84 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

the ducks. "Water-buffaloes" were seen rolling 
and tumbling about in the water in the same way 
as the rhinoceros. They are gray, stupid animals, 
and are used in ploughing instead of oxen. Pigs 
also predominated ; they ran wild, and wallowed in 
the mud. Women worked in the fields with long 
hoes, at the same time carrying babies slung on 
their backs in queer-shaped bags. 

After ascending several hundred feet among 
the hills, we came to the cataract, which dashes over 
the rocky cliff and falls into a deep oval basin below. 
Continuing up the hill, we came to the Buddhist 
temple and the monastery of " Auspicious Clouds." 
It is a solid building of stone, well kept, and pos- 
sessing all the usual paraphernalia of heathenism. 
The summit of the hill is 2,800 feet high ; near the 
top is the lake which supplies the fall with water. 

Returning towards Canton on the fifth day, we 
passed many curious craft upon the river. Most of 
the junks were heavily armed ; some carried eight 
or a dozen cannon, and all appeared ready to fight 
Our own boat was not backward in its little arma- 
ment. Over the table where we sat were stacked 
spears and swords, and near by were a couple of 
cannon. Our means of propulsion on the river was 
varied and suggestive. Six coolies tugged at a 






f 



PRISONS, EXECUTIONS, EXCURSIONS, 85 

long rope, made of twisted bamboo, extending 
from a stout mast of the boat to the shore. The 
rope had six strands at the end, and each strand 
was attached to a canvas belt, through which a 
man put his head and shoulders ; the six coolies 
then ran alpng a pathway on the bank. This is 
called '* tracking it." Two other coolies "poled" 
on one side of the boat with long bamboo sticks, 
while on the other side a ninth coolie "sculled" 
with an oar made of two heavy pieces, spliced and 
resting on an iron pivot. The "captain coolie" 
steered with an oar in front or a rudder behind, as 
the exigencies of the case required, and directed his 
heterogeneous crew from the frail top of the boat. 
Whenever a fair wind occurred, the coolies were 
called on board, and two masts were raised in the 
shape of the letter V. Upon this an immense sail of 
bamboo matting was placed, like that used in cov- 
ering tea-chests, and with this filled by the wind 
we scud along at a lively rate. When darkness 
came on, all the boats and junks in the neighbor- 
hood clustered together at the most sheltered spot 
near the shore, and arranged themselves in the best 
position for mutual defence. A " police boat," with 
well-armed crew, and carrying heavy cannon, would 
usually be moored near the bevy of boats, and all 

Bong Kon;, «tc. . I Q 



VG-KONQ TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

;ould hear the tap of the drum, show- 
ice were on the watch. If the much- 

" had really attacked us, however, 
e made short work of the promiscu- 
oats. When the Chinese can show 
y numbering a great many cannon 

great noise, they think themselves 
safe. 

tes captured us on the trip, and the 
inded below Ska-min, the beautiful 
ounds occupied by the English and 
ts at Canton. 



A TRIP THROUGH, THE TROPICS. S.7 



CHAPTER IV. 

A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 

In travelling around the world, no contrast or 
novelty strikes the tourist with more marked effect 
than the constant transition from ship to shore; 
and from the settled-down sort of life on land back 
again to the new experiences and excitements of 
shipboard. One has no sooner accustomed himself 
to the place and habits of the country visited, and 
begun to really enjoy the new friends he has made, 
than — -presto I change — ^he must leave them all, em- 
bark on the steamer, sail for other climes, and begin 
a new series of experiences among total strangers. 
The journey thus becomes a constantly-changing, 
yet ever-progressive panorama, with new scenes 
and new adventures unfolding at each successive 
step, until the " globe-trotter " (as the traveller who 
makes the Grand Tour is nicknamed in the East) 
feels convinced that both his mind and body have 
become charged with some new element of perpet- 
ual motion. One ocean is no sooner crossed, than 
another lies beyond; and one continent has no 



8S FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA VAS. 

sooner been explored, than still another awaits the 
onset of the intrepid and enthusiastic traveller. 

No part of the world appears to block one's 
way so abruptly as the long reach southward of the 
Malay Peninsula. In most of the school-maps of 
Asia, it looks like a convenient " jumping-o£f place" 
appended to the southeastern comer of the conti- 
nent. But not until the tourist attempts to sail 
around it, and finds the time and distance almost 
that of two trips across the Atlantic (and the fare 
double also), does he realize what a respectable voy- 
age it is. 

In going from Canton to Calcutta, for example, 
the distance in a straight line on the map appears 
short, for both cities are seen located a little below 
the twenty-fourth parallel of latitude. But, as China 
is not yet the land of railroads, the traveller is forced 
to sail nearly two thousand miles to the south, and 
after touching at Singapore, only one degree and a 
quarter from the equator, to turn northward and 
sail two thousand miles farther to Calcutta. By 
connecting the three points, Canton, Singapore, 
and Calcutta, with straight lines, it will be observed" 
that, in sailing from the former to the latter, the 
traveller journeys over two sides of an equilateral 
triangle. But the trip is a very pleasant one, for it 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, 89 

takes one through the tropics, with all their fresh- 
ness, novelty, and variegated scenery. 

The steamer Hindostan, bound for Calcutta, 
was lying at anchor in the harbor of Hong-Kong 
as I arrived there, after bidding farewell to kind 
friends in Canton. My trunk was transferred to 
the steamer by a Chinese sampan, and after putting 
my stateroom in order, preparatory to the long voy-» 
age, I looked around the city, and then visited some 
of the ships in the harbor. The United States flag- 
ship Hartford was riding gracefully at anchor, with 
spars trimmed and flag floating aloft. She seemed 
like an old friend, for I had frequently been on 
board of her in the harbor of Yokohama, and in- 
spected her heavy armament and neatly-kept decks, 
A sort of historic halo surrounded the old ship, to 
whose maintop Commodore Farragut was lashed 
during the naval action at Mobile. The vessel did 
excellent service during the civil war. 

I went on board the Hartford and called on 
Captain Harmony; he welcomed me cordially, 
and as we walked the deck he talked kindly 
and appreciatingly of a faithful Christian relative 
and friend of whose death we had learned by 
the last mail. The captain was called away to re- 
ceive Admiral Pen nock, who had just paid an offi- 



_ ' 1 



90 FROM HONG-KONG ^ TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

cial visit to the Russian frigate. As the band 
played and the marines presented themselves in 
uniform, we expected to hear the salute of twenty- 
one guns usually paid as a compliment to the admi- 
ral, to which the Hartford would have replied with 
an equal number. But somehow the Russians were 
saving of their powder this time. Salutes were 
quite frequent, however, from the various ships-of- 
war. The Kearsarge was also with the Hartford 
at Hong-Kong. I went on board of her, and 
stroked with special pride and interest the big gun 
that is her chief boast. The vessel has been en- 
tirely rebuilt and repaired since the war. The Brit- 
ish iron-clad Audacious, sister-ship to the Iron 
Duke, reposed solidly on the water, looking as im- 
movable as a rock. She appeared the very picture 
of strength, with her heavy armor, splendid Arm- 
strong guns, and defiant man-of-war ensign flying 
at the stem. Two or three of the old line-of-battle 
ships were lying dismantled, covered witb canvas 
roofing, and used as ammunition storeships. One 
of Holt's large steamers came sailing up the bay, 
just arrived from Liverpool. 

On Sunday I attended service at the Cathedral 
of Hong-Kong. Chaplain Lewis of the Hartford 
preached the sermon, from the text, "First the 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 91 

blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.*' 
The singing was very fine, especially one hymn, " For 
those in peril on the sea." The well-trained choir 
and solemn strains of the organ rendered this hymn 
a well-timed and appropriate prayer, in which we 
all joined, for it was a special favorite in the far 
East. 

Several months afterwards, when in a terrific 
storm on the Arabian Sea, this verse was continu- 
ally coming to my mind, with the music that so 
beautifully gave it expression : 

" Eternal Father ! strong to save, 
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, 
Who bid'st the mighty ocean deep 
Its own appointed limits keep. 

Oh, hear us when we cry to thee 

For those in peril on the sea." 

After church I walked across to the foreign 
cemetery, and was surprised at its extent and 
beauty. Many of the monuments were very elabo- 
rate and costly ; but hundreds of graves were un- 
marked by headstones, showing that many unknown 
persons, dying in a foreign land, had been brought 
and buried here. 

The steamer Hindostan sailed on Monday after- 
noon. All was bustle on board up to the time of 



77" 



92 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

departure; the captain was sick, and confusion 
reigned for awhile. The vessel was an opium- 
steamer, belonging to Sassoon Sons & Co., an In- 
dian firm. Coming from Calcutta, she carried a 
valuable cargo of opium, which is worth its weight 
in silver. Returning to Calcutta, she carried a few 
first-class passengers, general merchandise, and 
specie. It was no unusual occurrence for her to 
take back two hundred tons of silver. On this trip 
she carried five hundred Chinese in the steerage, 
bound for Singapore. The sailors were Chinese, and 
the servants and waiters were turbaned Hindoos. 

The south China Sea has usually a bad reputa- 
tion for storms, and I anticipated a rough time of 
it. But the voyage proved the calmest I had ever 
experienced. The sail down the bay was beautiful, 
and Victoria Peak was soon left far behind; a 
smooth sea and cloudless sky lay before us. Day 
after day we went on, the ocean appearing like a 
limitless lake, and the water and sky touching all 
around the vast margin, both blue and peaceful, as 
though storms were never known here. At night 
the moon came up over the sea in full glory ; its 
broad, silvery pathway upon the water was superb. 

The heavenly constellations shifted somewhat 
as we approached the equator, and new stars came 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, 93 

continually into view. The Dipper gradually dwin- 
dled in size, and finally passed below the northern 
horizon. The north star also disappeared. Orion 
and the Pleiades seemed to move over us nearer 
than before, and went down in the west, while the 
" milky way" was ever bright and beautiful. The 
Southern Cross was seen, and other trans-equato- 
rial constellations ; but the former disappointed me 
in its brilliancy, and none of the latter were equal 
in beauty and lustre to the starry clusters in our 
own hemisphere. 

The solitude of the sea appeared at times al- 
most oppressive as I sat alone on deck during the 
long moonlight evenings ; not a breath of air rip- 
pled the surface of the ocean, and the ship moved 
silently onward through the calm waste of waters, 
while scarcely a jar could be felt from the pulsation 
of her machinery. Hour after hour was lazily 
spent in brooding over the beauties of the scene, 
and in wondering, with Coleridge's " Ancient Mar- 
iner," at the limitless expanse before me. 

" Alone on the wide, wide sea. 
So lonely 't was, that God himself 
Scarce seemed there to be." 

But the least enjoyable part of my reflections 
was that pertaining to a mysterious robbery, of 

Hong-Kong, etc 1 1 



94 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

which I had been the victim a few days before. I 
had not been captured by the pirates who infest 
the high seas of this region, but some of the "land- 
sharks" of Hong-Kong harbor had gained access to 
my stateroom, and run off with quite a batch of pri- 
vate property. Just before the steamer sailed, while 
arranging my trunk and the articles in my room, 
the Hindoo steward called me away suddenly to 
dinner. Expecting to return in a few moments, I 
closed the trunk and merely removed a few articles 
from within reach of the window. Then I took a 
seat at the table, near the door of my stateroom. 
When I returned, everything appeared as I had left 
it, and not until the steamer was moving down the 
bay, and I went to find my large field-glass, did I 
discover the robbery. The thief had not touched 
the bulky articles, but had helped himself to my 
field-glass — z. very valuable one, a large leather 
pocketbook, containing letters of introduction and 
others intrusted to me for delivery in India and 
London, and a canvas bag containing silver dollars 
and some gold pieces. He was also shrewd enough 
to steal the nickel-plated and ready-loaded revolver 
that reposed snugly on the money-bag ! 

Nothing vexed me so much as the loss of my 
letters, which had been intrusted to me by friends. 



J 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 95 

But, inasmuch as the rascal had evidently mistaken 
the pocketbook for money, and had kindly discon- 
tinued his search just at the moment when his hand 
was within a few inches of nearly two thousand dol- 
lars' worth of English drafts, and my letter of cred- 
it, why, I thought I had better forgive him ! 

However, I reported the case to the first officer, 
who said nothing about it until the fourth day at 
sea, when he suddenly caused the whole ship to be 
searched. The Hindoo servants and Chinese pas- 
sengers were surprised at the unexpected descent 
made upon them ; but nothing was found. Had 
the thief been caught on board, it would have fared 
ill with him ; for the mode of punishment, which I 
saw illustrated once or twice on the voyage, was 
terrible. It consisted in stripping the culprit to 
the waist, and tying him up by the wrists to the 
rigging ; then fifty heavy blows were administered 
with a thick, knotted rope. The poor fellow might 
cry for mercy, but no mercy was ever shown. The 
first-mate vowed that if my thief were captured, he 
would receive one hundred blows, and close con- 
finement for the rest of the voyage. 

But I afterwards learned that the fellow had 
slipped ashore as our ship was leaving Hpng-Kong, 
and was caught by the police the next day as he 



-*---- • 



96 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YA S, 

was trying the same little game on another British 
steamer ! He was safely lodged in jail, and some 
of my property was found upon him. Although I 
lost the letters, etc., the money was returned to me 
in due time by the chief of detectives at Hong- 
Kong, who sent me a check for the full amount, 
which I received the day I arrived in Albany, N. Y., 
after my trip around the world ! I think the hon- 
esty and efficiency of the Hong-Kong detectives 
might profitably be emulated in some other police 
quarters nearer home ! 

We passed several large steamers on our way 
south, but lost sight of the Thales, another opium- 
steamer that left Hong-Kong with us, and which 
raced us all the way to Calcutta. A French vessel 
crossed our bows, bound evidently for Saigon, a 
short distance to the west The Philippine Islands 
were passed about one hundred miles to the east ; 
of course we saw nothing of th^m. The fourth or 
fifth day out we observed land to the right of us ; it 
was the mountainous border of Anam and Cochin 
China, which forms a great promontory or shoulder 
projecting from the Asiatic coast. When it was 
left behind, no more land was seen until the even- 
ing of the sixth day, when one by one the islands 
of the archipelago began to appear. 



;*— 



^;*-' p 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 07 

Towards midnight we were slowly steaming 
along the channel leading to the inlet of Singapore. 
Now and then a solitary Malay fishing-boat floated 
lazily past, with peculiar-shaped sails and a flicker- 
ing light at the mast ; and at three o'clock the main 
lighthouse at the entrance of the straits was left 
behind. For twenty or thirty miles before reaching 
Singapore, the channel lies broad and well-defined 
between a long, flat coast on one side, and an end- 
less succession of thickly-wooded islands on the 
other. As we moved silently along on a calm sea, 
with morning stealing upon us, and the luxuriant, 
tropical vegetation coming out by degrees on either 
side, it was like a dreamy panorama, which became 
more and more real as the full light of day came. 
on. Our course, which heretofore had been directly 
southward, was now due west, and the water of the 
sea was gradually changing from dark blue to murky 
green. The neighborhood of Singapore had a sin- 
gular haze and rosy light hanging over it as we 
approached ; but this soon scattered, and the dis- 
tinct outlines of white, square-built houses, a church 
with tall spire, and thatched-roof native huts min- 
gled with lofty palms, cocoanut-groves, foliage rich 
and variegated, and all the softer shades of a tropi- 
cal clime, came out with great beauty, and seemed 



• 1 



98 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

like fairy -land compared with the monotonous 
views of the sea to which we had been for some 
days accustomed; 

A large number of junks, Malay boats, and small- 
er craft were anchored off the city, but steamers 
and vessels of large size pass around a promontory 
some distance beyond, where long lines of wharves 
and storehouses were seen. 

We were boarded by a pilot, who came in a light 
shell-boat, native made, manned by black men, 
wearing turbans around their heads, and with oars 
shaped just like broad, flat spears. As we approach- 
ed the wharf, little boats of various sorts dodged in 
and out about us. The first of these were simply 
shells of wood, like long troughs, made by hollow- 
ing out logs and sharpening their ends. They were 
propelled by short paddles in the hands of little 
black urchins, who came around to dive for pen- 
nies. Two or three were in each boat, and when 
pieces of money were thrown at them, over they 
went like ducks, always returning with a comical 
look of triumph on their dripping faces, and clutch- 
ing the pennies in one hand. Sometimes three 
youngsters would dive at once for a single penny. 
One plump little fellow, six years old, came so per- 
sistently to me for pennies, and scampered around 



'^'vy 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 99 

the deck so lively, that I could not resist the temp- 
tation of dropping him overboard ! He screamed a 
little, but took his ducking with good grace, and 
climbed into one of the dug-outs, where a few more 
pennies quieted his fears. Boats, rowed by long 
poles with round pieces of tin on their ends, like 
dinner-plates, pulled up towards us, filled either 
with corals and shells or delicious fruits. 

But soon we were in at. the dock, and, jumping 
ashore, I bargained with a Malay driver for his car- 
riage. Of course he wanted two dollars, but I 
offered him thirty cents to take me two miles and 
a half to the city, and he gladly accepted. A nice 
little carriage it was, with a wee bit of a pony that 
trotted along at a lively rate, while I sat back like 
a nabob on the softly-cushioned seat The road 
was good, and we made the dust fly, and soon en- 
tered the city, or rather the settlement. I dismissed 
the coachman, and ascended the sloping embank- 
ment of a fort behind the town. Here were ram- 
parts and old-fashioned guns, but the British flag 
was drooping on the staff, showing who held sway 
over the region. From the top of the embankment 
I gained a picturesque view of Singapore and its 
surroundings ; it was a rich treat in both novelty 
and beauty. In the distance, and bordering the 



100 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

opposite side of the straits, were the green isles (rf 
the Archipelago, or. East Indies. The Straits of ^ 
Malacca opened up to the right, a calm and silent 
sea lay in front, while to the left stretched the fiat 
but cultivated expanse of country which forms the 
southernmost extremity of Asia. In the foreground 
was a green slope with short-homed cattle browsing 
upon it, and just below the pretty houses and villas 
of the settlement, almost hidden from sight amid 
the palms and rich vegetation which surrounded 
them. The roofs of the houses, both native and 
f9reign, were made of brownish-red tiles, and though 
this gives an old-fashioned air to the place, yet it 
contrasts prettily with the bright green of the thick 
foliage. 

Singapore proper is not large, though it is con- 
siderably extended in either direction by long streets 
of dingy little houses. The latter are occupied al- 
most exclusively by Chinese immigrants, who come 
hither in vast numbers, and displace the aboriginal 
element, owing to their superior tact and skill, and 
aptness for all manner of work. " John Chinaman" 
is yet to be an important factor in the East, and is 
yearly making his quiet, simple influence felt more 
and more beyond the limits of the Celestial Empire. 
He goes to Australia to dig gold, cultivate the land, 



. jr 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, loi 

or turn his hand to anything and everything that 
offers ; he frequents the open ports of Japan, and 
becomes banker, trader, or " compradore," as suits 
his convenience ; he comes to Singapore, Penang, 
and other settlements near the straits, and glides 
into all the little nooks where he thinks an honest 
or dishonest penny can be earned ; he runs over to 
the Philippine Isles, and other places on the Pa- 
cific, and is the omnipresent sailor, cook, cabin-boy, 
or steward on all or nearly all the ships running 
from China westward to Europe, or eastward to 
California. His quiet, inoffensive ways make him 
easy to get along with, though lie caiiileS little CiV-^ 
ilizing influence with him, and simply shows, JiQW, 
he may mould himself to cSrgumsfeaccS withciit 
bettering them very much. 

The weather was simply perfect ; that is, it was 
neither rainy nor bright, but nice and cloudy. A 
slight breeze was stirring, withal. The luxury of a 
cloudy day can be fully appreciated only by one in 
the tropics, where the sun has a power not easily 
understood in other zones, and the clouds serve as 
the best of shields. 

From the eminence I saw an extensive cocoanut 
grove in the distance, skirting the seashore. As it 
was not more than three miles away, I ventured to 

Hong-Kong, etc 1 2 



102 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

Stroll out to it, for cocoanut groves were something 
J had never before seen. Descending the embank- 
ment on which the fort is situated, I found my way 
slowly out of the settlement, and walked the road 
leading towards the seashore. Natives of both 
sexes, some black and some a tawny yellow, dressed 
in red turbans and petticoats, or wrapped in loose 
white robes, passed at various intervals and looked 
at me curiously. Finally, I arrived at the g^ove, 
and, entering, wandered alone among the beautiful 
maze of tall cocoanut- trees. A pathway led through 
the plantation, but no houses were near save one or 
Jw(j thatcbedcshod^ about which a dark Malay could 
now and theti be seen gathering sticks and dried 

ijiaJ^r i^raiKiie^ V-T^.^ ^^^^s were all loaded with 
rich clusters of cocoanuts, and the appearance of 
the grove was as peculiar as it was beautiful. The 
trunks of the trees were smooth and straight, and 
entirely devoid of branches. At the top, about 
thirty feet from the ground, long leaves were thrown 
outwards and upwards, each leaf being from four- 
teen to sixteen feet in length. The top of the tree 
was, therefore, like an immense plume, and just 
where the spreading stalks converge hung bunches 
of great green cocoanuts, each one larger than a 
man's head. A single tree is pretty ; but a whole 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 103 

forest has an effect particularly pleasant. A mul- 
titude of long, pendant stalks and waving leaves in- 
tersect each other in one vast network of green, and 
to the observer looking up they seem like a gigantic 
piece of tapestry. 

I sat down under a thatched roof, upheld by 
poles, close by a small pond, and watched the ap- 
proach of a thunderstorm whose mutterings could 
be heard from afar. I thought it would soon blow 
over, and resolved to wait and see it pass through 
the grove, trusting to my little retreat, ten feet 
square, to protect me from the pelting rain. Soon 
the big drops began to fall thickly ; the wind swept 
through the trees in gusts and squalls, causing the 
palm-plumes to rustle and sway to and fro, tossing 
their long, sword-like leaves into the air. Now and 
then a dried and brown stalk would come sailing 
down, its heavy butt striking the ground with a dull 
thump. The noise which the wind made in the grove 
was singular, being a kind of "buzz," as the sharp, 
stiff leaves rubbed violently against each other. No 
cocoanuts fell, as they were firmly attached by thick 
green stems. In fact, I wondered how they could 
ever be reached, until I saw a black, turbaned fellow 
with a sharp knife in his belt appear suddenly from 
a hut, and, taking hold of the trunk of a small tree, 



104 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

begin to ascend like a monkey. The native had to 
hug the tree tightly as he neared the top, but when 
once there he jumped among the branches, and 
began chopping at the cluster of cocoanuts. 

A thunder-clap made me look away towards the 
storm, and the darkening sky told me that my little 
roof of thatched leaves would not keep me from a 
drenching if I were imprisoned there long. So, 
seeing an empty carriage passing along the road, I 
hastened out of the gate and stopped it. When 
fairly inside, the driver pulled up the little windows 
and shutters, and though he and the pony were 
thoroughly soaked, I was effectually protected. We 
rode back six miles to the steamer, and as we reach- 
ed it the storm cleared. 

Our vessel did not leave until five o'clock the 
next afternoon, so I improved the time by taking 
another excursion in a carriage to the beautiful 
Zoological and Botanical Garden, five miles from 
Singapore. 

As we were leaving the town, the carriage was 
delayed by an immense Chinese funeral procession, 
which occupied a long time in passing and blocked 
up the main street. The first part was composed 
of men carrying banners and playing on gongs, 
fifes, and various nameless musical instruments. 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 105 

The sounds produced were strange and weird, and 
the combination of colors made by waving banners 
was exceeding brilliant. 

The hearse was gorgeously ornamented with 
curtain hangings of blue and gold, and the coffin 
with embroidered work of the same material. A 
special 'guard attended the hearse, and various in- 
signia were held up in front. A large multitude of 
friends and retainers followed, all carrying blue and 
white umbrellas ; it seemed as if the whole Chi- 
nese population had turned out on the occasion. 
Bringing up the rear was a troop of hired mourners 
dressed completely in white, with sheets thrown 
over their heads and held extended in front. Their 
wailing and crying seemed piteous, until we re- 
membered that they were paid for it. The proces- 
sion was followed by a line of empty carriages. 

We drove on, and passed a house where there 
had evidently just been a death. A long red cloth 
was stretched across the doorway, and a Chinese 
ceremony was going on before a little altar raised 
in front of the house. Incense was burning in 
abundance, and offerings were made of fruits, rice, 
and large cocoanuts. The neighbors had gathered 
around and seemed to be joining in the ceremony. 

On one side of the road a large field was liter- , 



io6 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

ally covered with white clothes, showing laundry 
processes on an extensive scale. In a stream flow- 
ing by stood black Malays, each with a large flat 
stone in front of him, against which he dashed the 
clothes with a force that did away with the neces- 
sity of soap and scrubbing. I bought a cocoanut 
on the road, tapped it, and drank the milk, but find- 
ing it doubtful for digestion, contented myself with 
eating a pineapple or two. I invested also in some 
large bananas. The coachman complained that 
they were too dear (two cents apiece). Pineapples 
are the cheapest, and, I think, the best fruit that 
can be obtained ; one does not tire of them so read- 
ily as of bananas. They grow wild all about this 
region, and may be obtained in the country districts 
at two for a cent. The average price for a very large 
one at Singapore is three cents. This brings them 
within the reach of all, and the poor people seem 
to relish them very much in the heat of the day. 
At home, one person scarcely thinks of eating a 
whole pineapple at once; but here it is just as com- 
mon as eating an apple is with us. For myself, I 
always thought an apple or orange was too small 
to be satisfactory, but a pineapple comes just up to 
the mark. It is juicy and high-flavored, easily eaten 
when properly peeled, and is here so fresh and 



i 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, 107 

sweet that no such evil eflFects follow from over- 
indulgence as do in the case of bananas and cocoa- 
nuts. 

The entrance to the Botanical Garden was reach- 
ed ere long, and, leaving the carriage at the gate, 
I sauntered through the grounds for nearly three 
hours. The garden is very extensive, covering an 
area of several hundred acres ; it is laid out in 
walks, grottoes, groves, flower-beds, and clumps of 
shrubbery. Just on the outskirts are the English 
barracks, where troops are usually quartered. Flow- 
ers and ferns of species entirely new to me were 
seen in great profusion, and the woods were filled 
with fragrance and the songs of birds. A peculiar 
species of " fan-palm " flourishes here, remarkable 
for its shape and the size it attains. It is shaped 
like a great palm-leaf fan. Its flat stalks are joined 
at the base, just as in a fan of small dimensions, 
and it attracts the attention of a stranger by its 
characteristic shape and great size. In a small 
pond near the entrance were lilies with enormous 
leaves, several of which were like large green tea- 
trays, with edges turned up two or three inches. A 
very pretty lake is near the centre of the garden, 
and on its margin are fenced-in parks with spotted 
deer, black and white swans, tall gray storks, and 





io8 FROM HONG-KONQ TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

cranes with long necks. Wild ducks sWim around 
a little island in the centre. Wire cages and en- 
closures are also found, with monkeys of all si2es> 
birds of bright plumage, ostriches, kangaroos^ and 
parrots. The kangaroos are not pleasant creattir^ 
to look at, for their hind legs and long, thick taSSs. 
seem out of proportion to the rest of their b< 
The parrots are large and have brilliant plumage -i 
white, green, red, and purple colors. Two hid© 
birds are kept here. They have enormous 
too large for their little black and red bodies? l|t*' 
support. Such creatures seem almost caricatot^V 
upon nature; and why they were afflicted wfctilF'. 
such huge bills appears hard to understand, unle^ 
it were to furnish the Canton carvers with materidf 
for their exquisite " bird*s-beak jewelry." 

In returning to the steamer, various kinds of 
vehicles were met with, characteristic of tropical 
climes ; but none appeared more comfortable (at 
least for the rider) than the peculiar-shaped palan- 
quiuy borne along briskly on the shoulders of four 
native bearers. The accompanying picture shows 
how easily the traveller may indulge in a quiet 
siesta while pursuing his journey in a warm, tropi-* 
cal climate. 

After leaving Singapore we sailed northward 









•J « 



s 



^ <. C c <9 






"ZJi 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, iii 

through the Straits of Malacca. The route inter- 
vening between Singapore and Penang has the 
breadth of a sea, as Sumatra is scarcely visible, and 
very few small islands are seen ; but the low, flat, 
Malay coast is near at hand on the right for the 
whole distance. The second night after we left a 
fearful rainstorm came on. It poured in torrents 
for six hours, and the thunder and lightning were 
terrific. One tremendous crash came right over 
the ship, and some of us thought a mast had been 
struck. I was sleeping on the deck — or trying to 
sleep, rather, and as I had a thick awning above me, 
I tried to stay the storm out. But the floods of 
water came down with such force as to beat through 
everything, and this, combined with the continu- 
ous glare of the lightning, soon drove me below, 
drenched to the skin. The long night wore away, 
while the ship kept steadily on, not heeding the 
deluge descending upon it ; in fact, the heavy rain 
seemed to beat down the sea entirely. When the 
sun had risen, the storm cleared, and we made up 
towards Penang Harbor, leaving a few islands on 
our left. A pilot came on board and directed our 
course along the shore, and we were soon anchored 
among the rest of the shipping. 

Penang is a small town situated on a flat prom- 

Hin s-Kong, etc. 1 3 



112 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

ontory projecting from the eastern side of an island 
of the same name. The island, which is consider- 
ably larger than that of Hong-Kong, is situated 
near the Malay peninsula, at the upper end of the 
Straits of Malacca. The town itself formerly bore 
the name of Malacca, but is now held by the Eng- 
lish. In extent and importance as a port it is not 
equal to Singapore. 

I went ashore and took a carriage to drive to 
the Penang waterfall, which is the chief sight of 
the place. It was distant about five miles, and 
for nearly the whole way the road was lined with 
cocoanut-groves, the trees being planted in long 
rows, with leaves arching over so as to form a suc- 
cession of green avdnues with great clusters of nuts 
on either hand. The banana appears particularly 
abundant here, and grows on a thick stalk, which 
shoots forth broad leaves fifteen feet in length, 
while from the midst of the clump a tall, green 
bough droops over, bearing a heavy load of two or 
three dozen bananas in a single cluster. The whole 
bunch is usually cut o£E green and allowed to ripen 
while hung up for sale ; the cocoanuts also have a 
thick green husk about them when plucked, and 
this has to be chopped off with a sickle-shaped 
knife before the brownish shell is reached. We 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, 113 

passed several fields with tall, bean-like vines train- 
ed upon sticks ; these were betelnuts under cultiva- 
tion ; they are largely used for chewing by natives 
throughout the East. The betelnut is something 
like the nutmeg in shape, though larger and softer. 
The natives cut it into small pieces, which they 
wrap in a leaf with a taste of lime, and then chew 
it. It produces an intoxicating effect, and enables 
the chewer to get along with very little food with- 
out the discomforts of hunger. The betelnut is 
used very largely in China, India, and the Siamese 
peninsula. There are coffee plantations on the isl- 
and, and nutmeg-trees, cinnamon, and spices of va- 
rious kinds. 

Some of the houses, especially those built on 
low or marshy ground, were propped up on posts, 
and reached only by ladders or steps ; they were 
usually small, thatched sheds, and their surround- 
ings were very primitive. They did not lack pic- 
turesque effect, however, when shaded by broad- 
leaved palms and thick, tropical foliage. Even the 
better class of houses, built by foreigners, were sup- 
ported by brick pillars, with airy, open spaces on 
the ground-floor, in imitation of the native style. 

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of a small 
hotel, where cool baths were advertised. I walked 



114 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

up towards a deeply-wooded gorge in the mountain 
range, which was now close at hand. The roar of 
the waters in the wood directed me, and soon I 
came where the noisy cataract was tumbling over 
the rocks. 

An artificial basin had been made at the foot of 
the torrent, whence a long series of pipes conduct 
the cool, fresh water to the town ; supplying not 
only Penang and the people by the wayside by 
means of faucets, but affording an excellent place 
for ships to obtain fresh water. A steep ascent 
leads up the right of the cataract, and, climbing 
this, I passed through thick woods bordering the 
edge of the gorge, along the bottom of which the 
waters tumbled. Birds were singing in the trees, 
and as I neared the top a monkey jumped along a 
branch in front of me, swung down through the 
bushes and foliage, and disappeared across the 
gorge. A few minutes more brought me to the 
waterfall itself, which starts from a rocky height of 
nearly sixty feet, and ends in an oval basin below. 

To the left of the fall was a small white shrine, 
six feet square, built of stone, and whitewashed. 
The door was locked, but while I stood there six or 
eight fine-looking black men, with shaven heads, 
and white sheets thrown loosely over them, came 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS, 115 

slowly up the mountain-path, bearing a large cop- 
per vase with fruits to offer at the shrine. One 
man, who seemed to be the priest, had a necklace 
of beads hanging over his shoulders ; his hair was 
not cropped like that of the rest, but hung loosely 
down his neck and back. He unlocked the door of 
the shrine, and, filling the copper vase with water, 
poured it upon the head of a little, black, stone idol 
which stood in a corner; he then swept out the 
place, and poured more water over the floor. Next 
he cleaned a small stone altar that stood in front of 
the shrine, rubbing it very devoutly with his hand, 
and, filling the copper vase again at the waterfall, 
emptied its contents upon the altar and all over the 
stone steps. This he repeated two or three times ; 
then he rolled a black paste in his fingers, and stuck 
three pieces on the altar, on the head of the stone 
idol, and also on a flat disk of stone which was sus- 
pended in the centre of the shrine. After various 
incomprehensible gesticulations, the fruits were 
prepared for an offering, the cocoanuts had their 
green husks chopped off, the bananas were hung 
up, and a fire was kindled before the altar. 

By this time the deep mutterings of an approach- 
ing thunderstorm were heard, and dark clouds went 
sweeping up towards the hillside, so I left the dusky 



1 16 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

worshippers and descended the gorge. Just as the 
big drops began to patter down, I entered the car- 
riage, which was closely shut up, and rode back 
through the rain to the wharf, where I took a boat 
for the steamer. 

The next day I took another excursion, but as 
the number of hours allotted me by the first officer 
was uncertain, I induced the chief engineer to go 
along, knowing that the ship could not very well 
steam off without him. 

Learning that there was an immense banyan on 
the island, known as the " great tree," we started 
out in a carriage to find it. The Malay. driver mis- 
took our directions, and drove up to the " central 
prison." Here we got one of the guards to di- 
rect him, and off he started again and took us about 
a mile to an " ice manufactory." One person here 
said the big tree was more than twenty miles dis- 
tant, and that it would take all day to go to it ; but 
the ice manufacturer informed us that it had been 
dead for two years ! 

The steamer sailed in the afternoon. The 
northern shore of the island appeared perfectly 
charming, with all its bright tints of green and 
gold, as we left it slowly behind and steamed out 
through the straits. The next morning we were 



A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 117 

rolling on the broad, clear waters of the Bay of 
Bengal, 

Two weeks' consumption of coal caused the 
steamer to be somewhat lighter, so that her motion 
was not so steady. Still, the weather was all that 
could be wished, and we sailed quietly over a 
smooth sea. Now and then a long swell came up 
to us from the Indian Ocean. Fewer clouds were 
seen as we got farther from the equator. We 
passed a solitary mountain isle in the sea, shaped 
like a black cone, and called " Norcan-Dam," which 
marks half the distance between Penang and Cal- 
cutta; several hours afterwards we passed a very 
long and narrow island, covered completely with 
cocoanut-groves, and inhabited only by wild boars. 
A small island to the north of this had a lighthouse. 
It was a lonely retreat for the poor beacon-keeper. 
As darkness came on we could see when he lit the 
lamp, and the little beam of light came flickering 
after us far across the water. 

The sunset was beautiful ; the great cloud-piles 
in the west were tinged with purple and gold, and 
there was every gradation of color streaking the 
sky, giving at one time a most peculiar combina- 
tion of green, gray, and violet, and at another a 
brilliant outburst of crimson floods of light. 



1 1 8 FROM HONG-KONG f6 THE HIM ALA YAS, 

We had just crossed the meridian line, which, 
carried a sufficient distance southward, passes 
through the antipodal point to New York ; and as 
I looked at the setting sun, I imagined it just rising 
on the people at home. But, though the same sun, 
it seemed to have an increased power in these lati- 
tudes, and we were always very willing to dispense 
with its shining face, except when in the act of setting* 

Since leaving Hong-Kong we had been very 
fortunate in the temperature experienced. Our 
immunity from excessive heat was due to the con- 
tinuous cloudy weather. The few days spent at 
Singapore and Penang were delightful. These 
places are far pleasanter and more comfortable than 
any in India, and the heat is not nearly so great, 
notwithstanding their proximity to the equator. In 
these equatorial regions it is always summer, never 
winter, -and the frequent rains temper the climate, 
moderating the weather to an extent beyond the 
comprehension of Northern people. In regions 
considerably above the equator the excessive heat 
is most felt ; and as we approached India, the Cal- 
cutta people on board consoled us with the intelli- 
gence that the month of May was the hottest month 
of the year in India. We left Burmah on our right, 
and had time permitted I should have been glad to 






A TRIP THROUGH THE TROPICS. 119 

visit the land where the missionary Judson labored. 
Beyond Burmah was Farther India, where British 
rule is already felt, and beyond that is the King- 
dom of Siam, the land of the white elephant 

The Bay of Bengal treated us with moderate 
weather to the end ; no cyclone engulfed us, and 
though a squall blew over at intervals, a little roll- 
ing is all we had to bear. We sighted the light- 
ship, stationed one hundred and forty miles from 
Calcutta, about ten o'clock at night ; but long be- 
fore it was visible we were made aware of its prox- 
imity by a broad glare of light seen against the sky. 
Occasioned by one of the " maroons," or firework 
illuminations, which are set ofiE at every hour during 
the night, and may be seen across the sea at an 
immense distance. 

Soon after, the steamer stopped and took two 
pilots on board from the pilot-brig which made 
towards us ; a boat was lowered and sent for them, 
and as it pulled ofiE, the phosphorescence which 
shone on the sea and gleamed from the oar-blades 
was beautiful. The water presented a livid appear- 
ance, like liquid fire. Lights were scattered about 
on the horizon, as many ships were anchored off the 
" sand-heads," as the shallow flats are called here, 
waiting for the day. 

Hons Knns, etr. I 4 



-^ ' IT ■ 



1 20 /r/?(?J/ HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

We steamed slowly up the river Hoogly, which 
is a branch x)f the Ganges. The river became nar- 
rower as we advanced inland, and the fields were 
covered with vegetation. No villages of note were 
passed, but natives were seen at intervals along 
the banks ; they appeared for the most part lazy 
and listless. 

The tide was high, and many steamers and 
ships passed us, going down over the "sand-heads ;" 
the ships were towed by strong, double-funnel tug- 
boats. Navigation here is very difficult, and in 
bad weather dangerous. Our steanaer pursued a 
zigzag course, first passing to one side of the river 
and then to the other, in order to avoid the numer- 
ous shallow flats and sand-bars. A rain-squall came 
on to cool things a little. 

The whole region was exceedingly flat, the water 
being so close to the level of the fields that a small 
rise of tide would easily inundate them. In the 
terrible cyclone which occurred here some years 
ago, the river rose twenty-five feet; fifteen thou- 
sand natives were swept from their homes and 
drowned, the whole country was devastated, and 
nearly all the ships in the neighborhood were either 
wrecked or carried for miles into the interior, where 
they were left high and dry by the receding tide. 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 121 



CHAPTER V. 

CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 

Calcutta is called the " City of Palaces," and 
certainly its broad streets and elegant buildings are 
a pleasant surprise to the traveller who approaches 
it from the east, and has seen no place so Euro- 
pean-like among the other cities of Asia. Never- 
theless, it is scarcely more palatial than some other 
cities of India, and in public buildings and imposing 
effect Bombay may fairly be said to rival it. Many 
private residences combine the substantial charac- 
teristics of European architecture with the graceful 
verandas and columns of the Orient. The city is 
spread over a large area, and the streets are wide 
and well sprinkled with water, gardens surround 
the houses of the wealthy, and broad balconies, 
shaded by Venetian blinds, look out upon green 
lawns and pleasant walks. 

On the banks of the river Hoogly, approaching 
Calcutta, are a succession of castles and splendid 
estates, owned and occupied by some of the native 
princes who formerly ruled the provinces of Hin- 
dostan. Deprived of their princely possessions by 



9- -^iT 



122 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

the British government, they still keep up the same 
pretentious display as that in which they formerly 
indulged ; for their incomes are still large, though 
they have none of the expense and responsibility of 
state affairs. The most magnificent estate in this 
neighborhood is that of the king of Oude, who once 
ruled the great province of the same name, which 
has Lucknow as its capital. He joined the mutiny 
against the British in 1857, and was subsequently 
deprived of his possessions; he was allowed to 
retain his rank and a munificent pension, but was 
obliged to reside near Calcutta, under the surveil- 
lance of the government. His palace, seen on 
coming up the Hoogly, is the most beautiful of all 
the stately residences passed. Within the groimds 
are large aquariums, flower-gardens, and one of the 
finest menageries in the world. 

Menageries are old established institutions 
among the estates of Orientd princes, and much 
pride is taken in making them as complete and 
extensive as possible. The Bengal tiger is of 
course seen here in full glory, stalking up and 
down his capacious cage, with easy, cat-like tread, 
and glaring at the stranger with his great eyes, as 
though the strong bars alone prevented his seeking 
a closer interview. The serpent-charmer exhibits 



f^. 



^"^^^^ • % 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 123 



his wriggling pets of live snakes, handling them 
regardless of the venomous fangs with which they 
are armed. Birds of paradise are kept here, and 
also the ostrich, pelican, eagle, flamingo, swan, and 
many species of pigeons. Great green tortoises 
sun themselves on the margin of the artificial lakes, 
and goldfish, and other members of the finny tribe, 
shoot to and fro beneath the water. 

The royal residences of the king of Oude con- 
sist of nearly a dozen edifices, with colonnades and 
open porches. In these buildings a small army of 
servants, retainers, and native soldiery are quar- 
tered. All the elegance and affluence of a court 
are kept up, even though it is all an empty show of 
sovereignty; for the "king" has seen his kingdom 
wrested from his hands, and he is little more than 
a magnificent prisoner and pensioner, under the 
eye and power of the government. 

The other princely residences and villas along 
the river bank are exceedingly beautiful, and in 
sailing slowly up the Hoogly they lend a pictu- 
resque effect to the landscape not unlike the feudal 
castles on the Rhine. But the tropical foliage and 
gorgeous colorings of light and shade are more stri- 
king than the scenery of Europe. The river chan- 
nel is difficult of navigation, owing to the swift 



124 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

tides, shifting sands, and sudden turns. Near Cal- 
cutta, however, the river is straight and broad ; the 
shipping is very extensive, and on account of the 
current the vessels anchor in a continuous line near 
the shore. 

A broad view is presented to the traveller at 
once across the grand esplanade, or " Maidan," as 
it is called, stretching in an unbroken sweep of two 
miles along the river, and reaching from Fort Will- 
iam and the Landing, up to the Government House 
and the elegant mansions of Chowringhee Road. 
This great park is deserted during the heat of the 
day, but in the evening, when the sun declines, and 
a cool breeze sets in from the sea, it becomes fairly 
alive with the people of the city. All classes resort 
here for fresh air and recreation, but the aristocracy 
are largely in the majority, and the carriages and 
livery displayed would rival those seen at the fa- 
mous drives in Hyde Park. The native princes, 
occupying the palatial estates on the river, vie with 
the foreign residents in the splendor of their equi- 
pages and elegance of their dress. Officers on 
horseback, accompanied by ladies in English riding- 
habits, dash gayly along, while strains of martial 
music are supplied by the band of Fort William. 

Government House stands at the farther end of 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 125 

the esplanade, and is surrounded by a large lawn. 
Bronze statues of England's heroes are scattered 
about the grounds, the whole being enclosed by an 
iron balustrade. Over the gateway the lion and 
the unicorn stand staring at each other, bearing on 
their necks the scroll and motto, ** Dieu et mon 
droity The cross of St. George is emblazoned on 
the ensigns, while the waving British flag betokens 
the power that holds authority in the land. 

The Government House is the residence of the 
viceroy of India, besides containing the various 
state departments designed for government busi- 
ness. The building is somewhat the shape of the 
Capitol at Washington, about one-third the size, 
and is surrounded by a dome. It looks out upon 
the Great Eastern Hotel, and other fine buildings, 
situated directly opposite the square. Represent- 
ing, as it does, the British power and supremacy in 
India, its halls are hung with the portraits of those 
whose civil and military service have added lustre 
to the British name in the country. Among these 
are the pictures of Warren Hastings, General Bur- 
goyne. General Wolfe, Lord Clive, and Lord Corn- 
wallis. The latter personage is notable in English 
history, not so much for surrendering the last of 
the British troops at Yorktown, as for his subse- 



126 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

quent brilliant career in India, where, as governor- 
general, he retrieved his name and fortune. His 
countrymen prefer to remember his achievements 
and services in the East, rather than his previous 
defeat and disaster in the American colonies. The 
rules of etiquette and ceremonies at Government 
House are copied from the courtly regulations of 
Buckingham Palace. Distinguished visitors and 
state officials are sometimes entertained here in 
grand style. 

Calcutta derives its name from " Kali-Ghat," the 
famous Hindoo temple in the suburbs of the city 
where worship is carried on, and pilgrimages are 
performed to Kali, the goddess of evil, wife of Shiva 
the Destroyer. The temple consists of a miserable 
cluster of shrines and stone altars, which a stranger 
might imagine to be a series of butcher-shambles, 
owing to the number of slaughtered sacrifices. The 
principal idol. Kali, is a small, black image, hideous 
in appearance, with three eyes, four hands, and a 
broad, golden tongue protruding from the mouth, 
and dripping with blood. The goddess wears a 
necklace of infants* skulls, carries a chopping-knife 
in one hand, a human heart in the other, and a de- 
capitated head in the third. She is profusely orna^ 
mented with jewels and precious stones, and sits 



V » 1. a 



», o J 



<- e 



^- * • « V » 



^^*?-^ 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 129 

back in a dark alcove, with a flat, paved court in 
front. Forked sticks, in the shape of the letter Y, 
are thrust into the ground ; in the crotch of each 
the head of a kid, or some other animal, is placed, 
and struck off with a sharp knife. The kids are 
little black creatures, brought to the grounds bleat- 
ing piteously, and sold to pilgrims or worshippers 
who wish to offer a sacrifice to the goddess. Each 
one is dipped in the sacred waters of the river, to 
purify it, before being brought to Kali. Sometimes 
large bullocks are sacrificed, and portions of the 
offering are purified by fire. The best part of the 
sacrifice goes to the priest, and the rest to the wor- 
shipper. When bullocks are killed, the devotee 
rolls himself in the blood, and then presents his 
besmeared body before Kail On ordinary occa- 
sions, however, the worshipper, after cutting off the 
head of the poor little kid, dips his hand in its blood 
and smears the blood over his face, and then goes 
in and stands before the goddess. The efficacy or 
value of the blood differs in each of the various 
sacrifices offered. The blood of a pigeon or other 
bird is of small account ; that of an animal is 
greater, and the more valuable the afiimal the 
greater the merit. The blood of a human being is 
of far greater account than that of many animals, 

H«DC-KoDf , etc. I C 



I30 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

and horrible as it may seem, human sacrifices have, 
in former times, frequently been ofiEered to Kali. 

A sect of religious fanatics, called "Thugs," 
once composed a secret organization, and by decep- 
tion inveigled unwary travellers into their haunts, 
and coolly murdered them in sacrifice to KalL 
Robbery very rarely appeared the motive for these 
dastardly crimes, and so secretly were they com- 
mitted, that it was difficult for the authorities to 
gain any clew concerning the mysterious disappear- 
ance of the victims. Blood, and not money, was 
the object, and for several years the Thugs carried 
on their ghastly work so quietly and successfully, 
that the British government could only suppress 
them by the most rigorous and persevering eflForts, 
At present this religious banditti are well nigh ex- 
terminated. 

The question may naturally be asked, for what 
purpose are the sacrifices of animals, and even of 
human beings, continually made to Kali ; and why 
are her altars ever running with the blood of kids, 
goats, and bullocks ? Has the pagan rite of sacri- 
fice the same idea of propitiation for sin underljring 
it which the Jewish rites of the Old Testament pos- 
sessed ? At first sight it looks as if it were so, but 
on closer examination we will find a mark^ and 



■ I ' 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 131 

radical difference. When we watch the wprship- 
pers, they seem in real earnest, bathing themselves 
in water, and coming up the river-bank clothed in 
white, they make their offering, and stand before 
Kali with the blood of the sacrifice upon their hands 
and foreheads. They cannot enter in acceptably 
without the blood, and their prayers and hopes de- 
pend upon its efficiency. 

But however much the external rites of Hindoo 
sacrifice may resemble those of the ancient Jews, 
the real principle at stake is entirely differeht 

In the case of the Jews, the offering was made 
in acknowledgment of sin and spiritual unclean- 
ness ; the entire significance of the sacrifice was 
based upon the idea of atonement from sin. The 
high priest carried the blood of sacrifice into the 
Holy of Holies once a year, to make atonement for 
the sins of the people. 

But the Hindoo and pagan idea does not point 
to a righteous and holy God, whose wrath must be 
propitiated on account of sin. It points rather to 
a merciless deity, sitting in the heavens, thirsting 
for human blood, and taking delight in human suf- 
fering and woe. Kali is the source of all evil, and 
of all the calamities that afflict the human race. 
She sends pestilence, famine, poverty, and death ; 






132 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HTM A LA VAS. 

and all the suffering and sorrow of mankind are but 
the natural outflow from her vindictive spirit and 
terrible power. Her thirst for blood must be sati- 
ated, and her horrible hankering must be appeased ; 
but there is no thought of propitiation for sin, in 
the Jewish sense. The blood is to satiate, rather 
that to propitiate. In short, Kali is a demon and 
not a god. The Hindoos believe in good deities, 
but they do not bestow as much homage upon them 
as they do on Kali ; for good deities will not molest 
mankind, and have no evil proclivities to be ap- 
peased. In fact, the whole religious system seems 
based on fear rdither than on love or adoration ; the 
true idea of worship has little place. If sickness or 
disaster come upon a family. Kali is angry, and a 
sacrifice is sent to the shrine to appease her. Hence 
the numerous pilgrimages and innumerable sacrifi- 
ces offered at her altars. National festivals are 
sometimes held to her honor, especially if famine or 
pestilence is threatened. 

On one occasion, in 1864, when a festival was 
in progress in honor of Kali, a cyclone swept over 
the coast, in the vicinity of Calcutta, and destroyed 
sixty thousand lives. The damage to property was 
equal to ten millions of dollars in a single day. 
There are records of seventy-one cyclones that have 



^^g—^",^ ^v- 



I \ 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 133 

devastated the province of Bengal, which is densely 
populated, and contains as many peoplfe as the whole 
of Great Britain. The last cyclone, which occurred 
on the night of October 31, 1876, was more destruc- 
tive of human life than any that preceded it. Com- 
ing up the Bay of Bengal in the form of a vast spi- 
ral, it devastated those sections lying east and north- 
east of Calcutta. The low and populous islands in 
the great delta, formed by the rivers Brahmapootra 
and Ganges, were completely covered by the tidal 
wave which swept over them, destroying in its 
course nearly one hundred thousand lives. The 
first wave came at midnight, and so suddenly that 
few could escape. The force of the wind was ter- 
rific, and no anemometer has yet been constructed 
that could accurately measure it. One instrument 
was blown away, under a pressure of thirty-six 
pounds to the square foot. Another registered fifty 
pounds, when the centre of the storm was some 
distance east of Calcutta. The centre itself is 
always calm. Under the violence of the wind, the 
sea piled itself into a vast wave, first by being kept 
back ofi^ the shallow sand-flats, and then by rushing 
forward as the wind veered around. The wave 
swept over the doomed islands of the delta with 
irresistible velocity, carrying everything in its 






134 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

course. What the cyclone spared, the sea engulfed. 
Some villages were partially protected by groves of 
trees, and the people climbed into the palm-tops, or 
fled to neighboring eminences. But most of them 
were helpless, and were caught in the midst of the 
whirling wind and rushing torrent. For weeks 
afterward, the Indian government was engaged in 
burying and burning the great multitude of the 
dead. 

What terrible destruction of human life do the 
annals of these cyclones suggest! and when we 
contemplate the fearful records of famine, pesti- 
lence, and earthquake, such as the last famine in 
China, in which whole provinces perished ; and the 
ravages of cholera, that decimated the countries 
through which it passed ; and the earthquake shock 
of Yedo, in 1861, which killed sixty thousand peo- 
ple in a single night — we cannot wonder that the 
benighted people of the far East look upon " the 
powers that be " with fear and trembling. It would 
sometimes appear as though the millions inhabiting. 
the Asiatic continent were not only doomed to mor- 
al and intellectual darkness, but were also doomed 
to all those physical evils which the wild and mer- 
ciless forces of nature inflict upon them. 

Whether we stand, therefore, at the blood- 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 135 

smeared shrine of Kali, at Calcutta, or within the 
hideous enclosure of the Temple of Horrors at Can- 
ton, or at the dragon temple of Ono, where the de- 
mon of Japanese mythology is worshipped, we find 
everywhere the same element of fear and gloomy 
fanaticism. In their religious rites, the heathen 
seek to appease anger, rather than implore grace — 
to avert impending calamity, rather than offer praise 
for present blessings. The prevailing view of life 
is not that which thrills the soul at the thought of 
its continuance, and there is little brightness or 
hope in the anticipation of a future state of exist- 
ence. 

The ignorant masses of the people are kept in 
still greater servility to fear by the influence of the 
priests, who use all their arts and superstitions to 
extort alms from the devotees, even when they 
know their system to be one of gross deceptions. 

While walking about the bespattered shrine of 
Kali with Rev. Mr. Payne of the Bhowanipore In- 
stitution, we met a stalwart Hindoo priest, who 
spoke English perfectly, and explained politely the 
significance of the various ceremonies. He was 
nude to the waist, and wore a long beard, but his 
face was quite intelligent. Surprised at his speak- 
ing English so fluently, I asked him where he 



'" ; -> 



136 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS, 

learned it, and why he still adhered to a supersti- 
tious system so repulsive and false as that of Kali. 
He replied that he had been through the course of 
instruction at the college with which my friend was 
connected, and had studied English there, and 
Christianity also. He had come back to the altars 
of Kali, however, as this was the faith of his ances- 
tors, and he had inherited a portion of the priestly 
allowances, which were now his chief means of sup- 
port. He argued that Christianity, though well 
suited to the wants and genius of Western nations, 
was not adapted to his own people. They must 
still hold to their own ancient forms of religion, for 
if they neglected these, they would have reason to 
dread the displeasure of Kali. When pushed, how- 
ever, in argument relative to the leading facts and 
evidences of Christianity, with which he professed 
to be acquainted, the priest showed plainly the 
weakness of his own belief in the superstitions of 
Kali, and acknowledged that he held his priestly 
position for the gain it brought, rather than from 
personal faith in the system. It was the same old 
story of Demetrius and his craftsmen, who made 
the " silver shrines " of the goddess Diana of the 
Ephesians, and cried out for the honor of the god- 
dess, not because they believed in her, but because 



"^^ 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, i37 

by means of her worship they made their own 
" wealth " from the superstitious people. 

Many other priests whom we met, dressed in 
long white robes, evidently were more zealous of 
Kali's claims and dignity than our friend ; for when 
I attempted to step in front of the stone altar and 
examine the hideous face of Kali closely, I was 
motioned away with angry gesticulations. The 
priests hinted to me in the Hindostanee language, 
that if I wished my own blood to be sprinkled be- 
fore the goddess, I might go in, for no one could 
enter there without blood ! Not caring to be sacri- 
ficed just then, I contented myself by walking 
around the stone shrine in which the goddess sat. 
I found eventually that I could by no means take 
the liberties with the Hindoo deities and temples to 
which I had been accustomed among the Buddhist 
temples of China and Japan. In the latter coun- 
tries I made myself quite "at home" in the tem- 
ples, and inspected the altars and idols repeatedly. 
But in India this cannot always be done with impu- 
nity. Even the British government is very strin- 
gent in its enactments concerning the rights of the 
Hindoo temples and worship, and no foreigner is 
permitted to infringe upon them. 

Early one morning I started out to visit the 

Hong-Kon;, etc. I Q 



138 FROM' HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS, 

Cremation-Ghat of Calcutta, situated on the banks 
of the* Hoogly in the upper part of the city. The 
Ghat is simply a small enclosure, shut in by a brick 
wall, open at the top, and having rows of stone 
slabs ranged upon the ground. Here most of the 
bodies of those who die in the city are burned. 
Usually the business is rather brisk, but as the 
hour was early yet, I loitered about the enclosure 
for some time without my curiosity being satisfied. 
Smouldering embers were to be seen on all sides, 
where fires had been kindled, among which were a 
few charred fragments of human remains ; funeral 
piles were standing ready to be lighted, and a 
corpse, covered with a white sheet, lay stretched on 
a bier in the middle of the enclosure. Nobody ap)- 
' peared to be in any hurry, so I went up to the per- 
son whom I took to be master of ceremonies, and 
motioned to him to hasten the proceedings. He 
pointed to a poor woman sitting near the corpse, 
who was evidently the widow of the old man about 
to be cremated. She accepted a few "cash" from 
me, and then called the coolies, who piled up half a 
cord of wood, and placed the body in the centre of 
it. A bunch of i^traw was placed in a small hole in 
the ground, under the wood, and a Brahmin priest 
approached, having a strip of cloth about his loins. 



• • 



• 



# W «»< • li 






• « • O C ^ 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 141 

and the sacred thread, denoting his caste, about his 
neck. The poor woman prostrated herself before 
him, while he mumbled a few mysterious words 
over her ; she then rose up and followed his direc- 
tions implicitly. Taking some ghee or sacred but- 
ter, she rubbed it over the face of her departed hus- 
band, and placed a little of it, mixed with rice, in 
his mouth. After numerous evolutions she walked 
three times around the pile, carrying a burning 
brand, with which at last she set fire to the straw. 
The wood crackled and hissed, and as the flames 
shot up the body sputtered and hissed also ; the 
fire became hotter and hotter, and dense volumes 
of black smoke rolled upwards, while the enclosure 
was filled with a variety of fumes and odors. Stand- 
ing near the wall were some iron furnaces, which 
the government had placed there for the Hindoos 
to use in cremation. But they prefer their own 
primitive method, and it serves their, purpose well 
enough, only the sight is not pleasant, especially 
when the body is only half consumed, and the em- 
bers have to be rekindled. When nothing is left 
but ashes, these are gathered up and sprinkled on 
the surface of the sacred river. In former times, 
the ceremony of suttee was very common, in which 
the widow was burned alive with the dead body of 



142 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

her husband. But the government has put a stop 
to this and to all other forms of human immolation. 
One case of suttee occurred, however, while I was 
in Northern India, for the authorities cannot always 
learn of the matter in time to interfere. 

To a stranger in Calcutta, the most striking 
contrast is evident between the culture and civili- 
zation of the city, and the gross forms of paganism 
and idolatry existing in close proximity to them. 
One may walk broad streets with palatial buildings, 
European stores, and Christian churches on either 
hand, and suddenly, by deflecting from the main 
avenue, may find himself face to face with all the 
abominable arts and idolatries of heathenism. Eu- 
ropean civilization is seen in immediate contact 
with Asiatic barbarism ; and yet the two exist inde- 
pendently, and do not seem to interfere with each 
other. But perhaps the same might be said of the 
stately wealth and pitiable pauperism existing side 
by side in many of our own cities. The contrast 
between Fifth avenue and the Five Points, for ex- 
ample, in New York city, would illustrate a similar 
condition of things. 

When we visit the large educational institutions 
of Calcutta, and see the thousands of Hindoo youth 
who have for years past been brought under the 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 143 

influences of European instruction, one might con- 
clude that paganism would rapidly lose its hold in 
these parts. So thought Macaulay, who visited 
India in 1836, and thus wrote to his father from 
Calcutta : " It is ray firm belief, that if our plans of 
education are followed up, there will not be a sin- 
gle idolater among the reputable classes in Bengal 
thirty years hence. This will be effected without 
any efforts to proselyte, without the smallest inter- 
ference with religious liberty, and merely by the 
natural operations of knowledge and reflection." 
These bright expectations, so hopeful and reasona- 
ble when first expressed, have never been fulfilled. 
Forty years and more have passed since these 
words were written, and during all this time the 
interests of education have flourished, and tens of 
thousands of young men have graduated from the 
schools and colleges of Bengal, but the province 
still remains the stronghold of Hindooism. 

I visited Dr. Duff's "Free Church College," 
which has one thousand students enrolled, and in- 
spected all the classes ; in some of them I was 
invited to question the students both in scientific 
subjects and in their Bible studies. In the latter 
the young Hindoos answered remarkably well, giv- 
ing the facts of Old Testament history as readily 



144 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS, 

as Sabbath-school scholars in our own country 
would have done. In modern science they were 
not so well advanced as students of the same age 
whom I formerly instructed in the institutions of 
Japan. In fact the Hindoo mind is not very prac- 
tical, but delights in ethical and metaphysical stud- 
ies, and in history, mathematics, and languages. 
The boys and young men were all bright and intel- 
ligent, and as full of fun as American students ; 
they were all black, and wore white gowns of uni- 
form style. The library was large and well filled 
with books ; a marble bust of Dr. Duff stood near 
the door, and a full-length painting of the venerable 
missionary was suspended from the wall. His name 
is ever mentioned with profound respect and appre- 
ciation. Another large picture represents the sign- 
ing of the separation of the church of Scotland. 
Dr. Duff had great faith in education as a regenera- 
tive force in India, and his plans have been nobly 
carried out ; but how far education will succeed in 
converting a people from paganism to Christianity 
yet remains to be seen. 

Pfesidency College, where degrees are given, 
was passed on my return. Sanscrit College is also 
a fine institution ; the Sanscrit (meaning " perfect 
and polished " classical language) is the chief study 



^a^- . ™ 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 145 

in many of these colleges, as Latin and Greek are 
in our own. The Bhowanipore Institution, under 
the auspices of the London Missionary Society, is 
very large and well conducted. I witnessed the 
opening exercises one morning, when five hundred 
students marched into the main hall, and stood in 
rows, all dressed in white, while a portion of Scrip- 
ture was read and prayer offered. The students 
did not appear very devotional, however ; but col- 
lege chapels are not usually noted for decorum and 
spirituality, whether located in India or nearer 
home. 

I visited the government Medical College, and 
walked through the spacious and neatly-kept wards 
for European and native patients. The building 
was splendid in its architectural design, and com- 
plete in all its appointments. It contained large 
lecturerooms, furnished with every scientific requi- 
site. The hospital was by far the finest I had ever 
seen. 

Female education cannot be carried on as ex- 
tensively as that of males, owing to the restrictions 
of caste and the severe exclusiveness of Hindoo 
society. Still, a few girls' schools are established, 
two of which I visited. One was that for Christian 
girls, under the auspices of the Free Church of 



146 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MA LA YAS. 

Scotland ; some of these girls had renounced their 
caste upon their conversion, and were completing 
their studies under English matrons. They seemed 
very lady-like and pleasant as they sat embroider- 
ing fancy-work ; and when I entered the room with 
a friend, the girls rose up and sang for us beauti- 
fully in English, the older ones taking the lead. 
There were seventy-seven girls in the institution. 

Another school for smaller girls was conducted 
by Mrs. Chaterjee. Here were sixty bright young 
pupils, very small, but quite pretty, and wearing a 
profusion of jewels, bracelets, and bangles. They 
sat in rows, raised one above the other, like a dusky 
infant-class, and were tastefully dressed, and a little 
timid. After reciting some lessons in Bengalese 
poetry, they answered with remarkable promptness 
many simple Bible questions which I gave them. 
Their polite salams and bows, as we retired from 
the room, were the most graceful I ever witnessed. 

Most of the missionary enterprises at Calcutta 
are under English and Scotch auspices, as they first 
occupied the field here ; the American missiona- 
ries, by common consent, subsequently established 
their missions in Northern India. There is one 
exception to this, however. The Zenana work is 
under the supervision of the ladies at the American 



«. ^ « 






c 






CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 149 

Mission Home, which is supported by the Woman's 
Union Missionary Society of the United States. 
Miss Brittan, and fourteen American and native 
helpers, carry on the noble work of this Home, the 
influence of which is most important among the 
various agencies of Christian Missions in India. 
The hospitalities of the Home were cordially ex- 
tended to me while in Calcutta, and I gratefully 
acknowledge the many kind attentions bestowed 
by the ladies. 

The accompanying view of the Mission House 
is taken from DhurromtoUah street ; it presents the 
front gateway and garden, with the open porch and 
flat roof characteristic of Oriental houses. A small 
ladder is seen leading to the housetop, which I some- 
times ascended in the cool of the evening to enjoy 
the fresh breeze and look around upon the city. 
" Tommy," Miss Brittan's Hindoo servant, is seen 
standing in the gateway. The ladies occupied 
rooms on the right and left of the central hall or 
parlor, and the whole house was kept as open and 
airy as possible in warm weather. A medical dis- 
pensary is located in the rear of the building, and 
the large diningroom is on the left of the entrance- 
hall. I sometimes sat at the long dinner-table with 
seventeen missionary ladies, myself being the only 

Hod f -Kong, etc I *r 



ISO FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

gentleman ! It seemed quite Oriental for the time 
being, and not unlike a well-ordered Zenana ! 

There are few Americans at Calcutta, and most 
of them came from the enterprising and prosaic 
city of Boston. We are very fortunate in our 
United States Consul, General Litchfield, whose 
devoted Christian character, and commendable zeal 
in all good works, call forth expressions of high 
esteem from the whole foreign community. It is 
not always proverbial in the East that United 
States consuls are distinguished for their charities. 
Christian zeal, and unselfish labors; but here we 
have at least one happy exception, in which Amer- 
icans may feel an honorable pride. General Litch- 
field is ever courteous to his countrymen, as well as 
earnest in good works, and his elegant residence 
was always open to me ; neither kindness nor hos- 
pitality was lacking in making my visit both pleas- 
ant and profitable. At the General's invitation I 
attended a reception with him at Lord Bishop 
Mitman's. The gathering was very aristocratic, 
and decidedly stiff and formal; but the parlors 
were palatial, the music fine, and it was interesting 
to meet the dite of English society, and see the 
richly-dressed people promenading the broad bal- 
cony, which could easily accommodate a hundred. 






Ti 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 151 

In returning to General Litchfield's comfortable 
house and retiring for the night, I found it impossi- 
ble to sleepi owing to the cries of the wild jackals 
who roam through the city as soon as darkness sets 
in. One black creature attempted to rob a crow's 
nest in a tree beneath my window, and created a 
perfect furor of fluttering and caws ; others could 
be heard scampering through the deserted streets, 
uttering the most startling and human-like cries. 
At first the sounds were so tumultuous that I 
thought the city in insurrection ! 

Sixteen miles north of Calcutta are situated the 
beautiful towns of Barrackpore and Serampore. 
The first is the seat of the vice-regal residence, 
' and the latter is associated with the labors of the 
early missionaries — Marshman, Carey, and Ward. 
It must be remembered that missionaries were not 
at first very heartily welcomed in India. Sidney 
Smith said he hoped the government would send 
them all home. The East Indian Company would 
not allow Carey to settle at Calcutta ; accordingly 
he commenced his labors at Serampore, which was 
then under the Danish flag. The pious Dr. Judson 
also began his missionary career at this place. The 
large college and other institutions founded by Ca- 
rey and his colaborers still stand here, and their 



1 52 FROM HONG-KONG JTO THE HIM A LA VAS, 

Stately halls and imposing dimensions attest how 
successful and practical these earnest men were. 
They believed in making missions "pay" for them- 
selves ; they therefore established manufactories, 
printing-presses, scientific schools, and aimed to 
combine missionary work with common-sense and 
practical pursuits. In this, for the time being, they 
succeeded. 

I spent a day very profitably in going through 
the college and various institutions at Serampore 
with General Litchfield and his friend Mr. Jordon, 
one of the directors. Although the venerable mis- 
sionaries are gone, their work still remains. Wei 
visited " Martyn*s Pagoda," in a secluded nook near 
the river bank, where the devoted and godly man 
used to go and meditate. A tree is now growing 
on the top of the stone tower, and will soon com- 
plete its demolition. 

As I greatly desired to see the famous temple 
and car of Juggernaut, located in this neighborhood. 
General Litchfield kindly conducted me thither. 
The Car of Juggernaut stood on one side of the 
road as we approached the temple. It was simply 
an ugly, painted pagoda, mounted on a clumsy cart, 
with rows of solid wooden wheels underneath. The 
curious vehicle was gorgeouslv ornamented with 



* - 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 153 

gay colors and hideous, painted figures. It was 
two stories high, and we climbed into it and as- 
cended by a rude step-ladder. The car was very 
old, and we found the interior in a forlorn state ; 
the woodwork was rotten and worm-eaten, and the 
beams were so decayed that one would think the 
structure must certainly fall to pieces if dragged 
over the rough road. At the top we found a small 
platform, on which the idol Juggernaut is seated at 
the yearly festival, when he takes his annual ride. 
On such occasions thousands of people drag the car 
by means of long ropes. In the midst of the ex- 
citement, the shouts of the people, and the beating 
of drums, frenzied devotees were wont to throw 
themselves under the wooden wheels of the car, 
where they were instantly crushed to death. This 
has now been stopped by the government, however. 
In fact the festivals have lost their interest of late, 
and Juggernaut's prestige has quite declined. 
Scarcely enough people can now be mustered to 
give the old statue its yearly ride. In coming 
down from the car, Greneral Litchfield pulled ojEE a 
piece of the painted wood, but dropped it again, and 
I immediately secured it as a relic. Some Hindoos 
eyed us pretty sharply, but I slipped my souvenir 
of old Juggernaut into the folds of a New York 



1 54 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

newspaper that I carried, and preserved it safely ! 
We entered the temple of Juggernaut, and I saw 
the idol sitting on an elevated marble altar. There 
was little of him, except a great black face, with im- 
mense, owl-like eyes and a blood-red mouth. Two 
other comical-shaped idols were seated on either 
side-of him. 

As the heat became more excessive at Calcutta, I 
gladly accepted the cordial invitation of Mr. Richard 
McAllister, an American merchant, to spend a week 
or two at his beautiful summer retreat on the banks 
of the Hoogly. His grounds were half a square 
mile in extent, and upon them were two large cot- 
ton and jute mills, employing several hundred Hin- 
doo operatives. I had not seen cotton-spinning on 
so large a scale before, and was never weary of 
watching the delicate operations of the various 
machines. 

During the American Civil War cotton became 
so scarce that the British government stimulated 
its production in India by every means, and the cot- 
ton interest there rose to great importance. Spec- 
ulation became brisk, and fortunes were made al- 
most as rapidly in Calcutta and Bombay, as they 
were lost in Savannah and New Orleans. But at 
the end of the war American cotton regained its 



rT--*» ' 



V ■'■■■: 



^ > 



Ir 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS, 155 

prestige, owing to its superior quality and the im- 
proved machinery used in preparing it for market. 
Still the British government does what it can to 
foster the cotton-trade of India. 

The manufacture of jute for bags, sacks, sails, 
etc., is also an important industry. Mr. McAllister 
employed i,4CX) natives in his different mills. 

His beautiful residence stood in a secluded and 
shady position, surrounded by a smooth lawn. 
From the balcony of his house we could watch the 
steamers and various vessels passing up and down 
the river. All that wealth and comfort could fur- 
nish were found in this delightful home, and every 
privilege was cordially extended to the guests. 
Soft-footed Hindoos stepped quietly through the 
marble-floored rooms, and were ready to do the 
stranger's bidding. One could scarcely put on his 
own hat or slippers, lay down his umbrella, wash his 
own face, or even dress himself in the morning, 
without a polite and silent attendant gliding up to 
him to assist in the operation ! To the independent 
Anglo-Saxon, accustomed to help himself, and at 
least perform his own private toilet, these petty 
ministrations are at first a little annoying ; but the 
warm climate soon relaxes his rugged spirit of in- 
dependence, and he lazily surrenders all muscular 



r- - -_ 



156 FROAf HONGKONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

and manly effort to the willing services of the dusky 
shadows who dodge his footsteps. It takes a sur- 
prisingly short time to get accustomed to all the 
marks of deference heaped upon him ; and he soon 
slides into a dreamy state of quiescence, accepting 
the most trivial attentions as a matter of course, as 
if marble palaces and turbaned retainers had formed 
a part of his surroundings from his youth up. He 
smiles with serene complaisance upon the solemn 
and silent Hindoos who rise to their feet at his very 
approach, touch their foreheads, lips, and heart, out 
of respect to so august a presence, and fan him with 
swinging "punkahs" for hours together, whenever 
he throws himself listlessly upon the sofa or into a 
comfortable armchair. 

, Hospitality is easy to give, and still easier to 
receive, in the East, where houses are spacious, ser- 
vants are numerous and well trained, pantries are 
plentifully stocked, the cook is never ill-tempered, 
and an Oriental frankness and affability assure the 
guest that he is always welcome. 

Once, when taking a quiet " tiffin" with my kind 
hostess, a note was brought in, saying that a party 
of fourteen ladies and gentlemen from Calcutta 
would take tea with us and spend a few days. The 
arrival was unexpected, but it caused no unusual 



•' 



CALCUTTA AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. 157 

Stir ; a whisper in the ear of the " khansamer," or 
steward, was all the preparation that seemed neces- 
sary, and when the company appeared they were 
well received and entertained. 

Though urged by my kind friends to make their 
hospitable mansion my home until the worst of the 
hot season was over; and though warned of the 
danger of doing India and its sight-seeing, with the 
thermometer at 140*^ Fah., I persisted in my plan 
(imprudently, though, it now seems to me) of at- 
tempting three thousand miles of travel in the coun- 
try at the hottest season of the whole year. 



Hont-Kon;, •tc 1 5 



t - 



1 58 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 



CHAPTER VI. 



BENARES, THE SACRED CITY OF THE HINDOOS. 

After the long sea voyage from Hong-Kong 
to Calcutta, the idea of a railroad-ride of more than 
a thousand miles " up country/' as Northern India 
is called, possessed not a little novelty, notwith- 
standing the fatigue, dust, and even danger to be 
expected by the way. 

I left Calcutta on the Queen's birthday (May 
24), which was a national holiday, and taking the 
10 : 30 p. M. train, travelled during the night and all 
the next day to Benares, a distance of four hundred 
and eighty miles. 

The province of Bengal, through which we 
passed, is nearly five times as large as New York 
state, and supports a population as numerous as 
that of the United States. It is a vast alluvial ex- 
panse, through which the great river Ganges pours 
its sacred waters by a score of channels into the 
sea. The most important town in this fertile dis- 
trict is Patna, the capital of Behar province, and 
centre of the opium trade; here the drug is pre- 
pared from the poppy-plant, then made up into 



^ ^ V V ^, 









c 
e 



V* 



BENARES, i6i 

black balls, and boxed for shipment Opium is the 
curse of China ; but its sale there is the source of 
immense revenue to India. Its cultivation, manu- 
facture, and shipment, are entirely under British 
government control, and no private companies are 
permitted to export it. It sells in China for an equal 
weight of silver. 

Soon after leaving Patna we passed Zumanea, 
where Lord Comwallis is buried. An imposing 
monument stands over his tomb. The country- 
appeared at this season desolate and dry ; as we 
receded from the region of the seacoast the hot 
winds were encountered, and their scorching effects 
would have seriously startled me had I not been 
previously warned respecting them. Having a 
whole compartment in the car to myself, I kept as 
cool as circumstances would permit ; tatti-mats of 
straw suspended in the windows were kept contin- 
ually saturated with water, and at each station a 
bhistie, or water-carrier, replenished the earthen 
bottle, with which I sprinkled the floor and wet the 
mats. The bhistie, seen in the accompanying illus- 
tration, carries water in a large leather bag, and 
pours it from the neck of the bag, held in his left 
hand, into whatever is extended from the car-win- 
dow to receive it. He is a low caste Mohamme- 






162 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

dan, for no Hindoo would dare to touch leather, for 
* fear of defilement and losing caste. The high caste 
Hindoos on the train were served with water from 
brass jars carried by Brahmins ; but as foreigners 
have no caste to lose, they are served by the bhistie. 

I had a box of Boston ice in the car, which 
proved a great comfort as long as it lasted ; but 
after two days it melted, and I had no more ice 
until the Himalaya mountains were reached. The 
exportation of ice from Boston to Calcutta has be- 
come of late years a very important and lucrative 
branch of commerce. Artificial ice can be made in 
India, but it is not as dense as the natural ice, and 
lasts only half as long. It pays better to bring ice 
all the way from Boston around the Cape of Good 
Hope, and large ships arrive at Calcutta loaded with 
this commodity, which sells at market rates varying 
from four to six cents per pound. 

The sun was just setting behind Benares as I 
caught my first glimpse of the city. The atmos- 
phere was hazy and hot, and the red disk of the 
sun, which was of extraordinary size, seemed of 
malignant hue as it slowly retired. Two slender 
minarets of the Mosque of Arungzebe, rising two 
hundred and fifty feet above the river-bed, were the 
most prominent objects that met the eye. Then 



" ) 



BENARES. 



163 



the conical-shaped temples, high stone ghats and 
terraces, and steep flights of steps, came dimly into 
view, and finally the Ganges, flowing peacefully in 
front of the city. The whole scene looked from a 
distance precisely like the pictures of the place pre- 
viously studied. 

Benares is one of the oldest cities in the world. 
Mr. Sherring, in his " Sacred City of the Hindoos," 
says : " Twenty-five centuries ago it was famous. 
When Babylon was struggling with Nineveh for 
supremacy ; when Tyre was planting her colonies ; 
when Athens was growing in strength ; before 
Rome had become known, or Greece had contend- 
ed with Persia, or Cyrus had added lustre to the 
Persian monarchy, or Nebuchadnezzar had cap- 
tured Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of Judea had 
been carried into captivity, she had already risen to 
greatness, if not to glory." 

The total number of temples in the city is over 
fourteen hundred and fifty, and of mosques two 
hundred and seventy-two. Besides these are nu- 
merous shrines occupied by idols, which are seen 
on all sides. The present population is nearly two 
hundred and fifty thousand, but it is fluctuating, 
owing to the vast number of pilgrims ever on the 
move to and from the " holy city." 



i64 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MA LA VAS. 

Taking a carriage I crossed the river on a mis- 
erable bridge of boats, and drove three miles to the 
** Cantonment," which is a small foreign suburb of 
the city. 

* In the morning I visited the Government Col- 
lege, in company with Rev. M. A. Sheiring, from 
whose published works on Benares I have just quo- 
ted, and who is also the author of a history of the 
" Tribes and Castes of India." The college build- 
ing is a splendid specimen of Gothic architecture, 
and its extensive halls, fine library, and elegant sur- 
roundings, would do credit to Oxford. 

The British government have shown great lib- 
erality in providing such an institution for the edu- 
cation of Hindoo youth. Secular studies are taught, 
but no religious instruction is allowed. Science is 
as necessary, however, in undermining the old su- 
perstitions of Hindooism as are the more direct 
forms of missionary effort ; for the ancient legend 
that the world rests on the back of an elephant, and 
the elephant stands on the back of a tortoise, must 
give way with the influx of scientific light respect- 
ing the construction of our solar system. 

But all the science and classics taught in the 
colleges of India do not convert the Hindoo youth 
to Christianity. This form of instruction has the 



BENARES. 



165 



same result which is manifest among the Govern- 
ment schools of Japan, namely : the youth are lifted 
out of the absurd beliefs of heathenism, only to be 
landed in the more rationalistic forms of modem 
infidelity. But even infidelity is better than super- 
stition and the worship of false gods, and it may 
eventually prove one of the unavoidable stages of 
experience through which the youthful Japanese or 
Hindoo mind has had to pass previous to a more 
intelligent and sincere acceptance of Christianity. 
Progress may appear slow at first, and the result 
doubtful in a strictly religious sense, but secular 
and scientific instruction will ultimately be found 
an influential ally in missionary work, even though 
its primary effect may tend towards the breaking 
up of all religious belief. 

Returning from the Government College with 
Mr. Sherring, we took breakfast with his family, 
and then spent an hour or two in looking over some 
rare works and pictures illustrating ancient Hindoo 
customs, modes of worship, distinctions of caste, 
and the physiognomy of various aboriginal "hill 
tribes" of India. The prominence given to the wor- 
ship and evil influence of the serpent in these an- 
cient pictures and legends suggested the similarity 
between this and the ever-present dragons of Japan 



.A 



166 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

and China on the one hand, and the familiar story 
of the serpent in the garden of Eden on the other. 
Mr. Sherring kindly initiated me into the mys- 
teries of his study-room, and in response to my 
queries he attempted to explain how a person might 
keep busy during such hot weather. He said that the 
months of May and June, during college vacation, 
constituted his best season for work, and that dry 
heat was stimulating, rather than depressing. I 
found his study darkened, with one of the windows 
boarded up, leaving a dark orifice two feet square, 
through which a strong current of cold air entered 
the room. Being puzzled to understand where such 
a cold " northeaster " could come from, when the 
outside of the house was as hot as an oven, I asked 
Mr. Sherring if he had a secret tunnel leading to 
the North Pole. In reply, he stepped out upon the 
veranda and pointed to a peculiar contrivance placed 
close to the window, which he designated as a " tber- 
mo-antidote." This consists of a large winnowing 
machine, covered with tatti-mats, and coated in part 
with clay, while inside a light fan-wheel is kept in 
rapid motion by means of a handle turned by a 
Hindoo. The air is drawn in through the thick mats, 
which are thoroughly wet by an endless succession 
of small tin cups, and the constant evaporation re- 



■ ■ f 



BENARES, 167 

duces the temperature as before, while the cooled 
current is forced by the revolving fan into the room. 
No air is allowed to enter the house except that 
which passes through one or more of these ma- 
chines. If the "thermo- antidote" be properly 
worked (and the life of the Hindoo turning the 
wheel be spared), then the happy possessor may 
safely defy any temperature which he may be called 
upon to endure. 

Mr. Sherring lost his child by sun-stroke a short 
time before ; the little one ventured out with his 
head insufficiently protected, and the following 
night the child became delirious and died in a few 
hours. 

Stepping into the carriage that awaited me at 
the door, I asked Mr. Sherring what the tempera- 
ture was on the porch where he stood ; he replied 
that it was 155^ Fht., and that I must pull up the 
blinds and blue-glass windows of the carriage, for 
it was imprudent to be out so late in the day. The 
glare from the white roads and overheated earth 
was painful to the eye, and the ride back to the 
hotel was the warmest I had ever experienced. 

Such a climate forces the traveller to a com- 
plete change in his usual routine. If any sight- 
seeing is attempted, it must be done early in the 

Honir-Konf , etc. I Q 






% ■ 



i68 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

morning or late in the evening, for any exposure in 
the middle of the day would prove suicidal. In 
India I usually rose at four o'clock and started off 
before sunrise, after taking a cup of coffee and piece 
of toast, called C/iota-Had/eine, or little breakfast, 
which was served in the room, and sometimes be- 
fore the traveller was out of bed. Had/eirie, or big 
breakfast, came later in the day, at ten or eleven 
o'clock, when people had returned from sight-see- 
ing or business. Tiffin, or lunch, came at two, and 
dinner and tea were served in the evening. 

During the day the house was kept closed, and 
tatti-mats were fitted into the doorways, and con- 
tinually moistened with water. These tatties resem- 
ble flat mattresses set in frames ; they are made of 
brushwood, and are so porous that the slightest 
breeze readily passes through them. The rapid 
evaporation of the moisture reduces the tempera- 
ture so much that a person may easily " catch cold" 
by sitting too long in front of them. 

At night, when there is no wind, the punkahs 
are worked, which vibrate slowly over a person 
while he sleeps. The punkahs are narrow frames, 
from six to ten feet in length, suspended horizon- 
tally from the ceiling, with heavy curtain fringes 
along the lower side. They are moved by means 



BENA2i£S. 169 

of a rope running through a small hole in the wall, 
and pulled to and fro by a coolie stationed outside. 
Small fans are scarcely ever used in India, for 
the air of the apartment is continually stirred by 
punkaks. Even in church, at the Calcutta Cathe- 
dral, I once witnessed the Sabbath service con- 
ducted in grave silence, while immense punkahs 
were swinging back and forth, like great white 
wings, over the heads of the worshippers. One 
punkah was sufficient for ten pews, and four were 
connected by a single wire, so that they moved si- 
multaneously. The minister also had a short /»»- 
kah twitching nervously over his head while he 
preached. The cords or wires by which these ^&Xi- 
A.\A'a.Mvci% punkaks were set in motion passed through 
the wall and rested on little pulleys ; under each 
pulley sat a jet-black Hindoo, or punkah-wallah, 
swaying his body with a slow, but steady move- 
ment. These men are thin, fragile fellows, but 
.1 .-r .> inciple of perpetual motion, 

leep, as frequently happens, 
.ck and forth, and continue 
len awake. 

the sun in India possess a 
re temperate climes, and not 
those who have never expe- 






17Q rROM HOA'G'KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

rienced their effect The head is the first member 
to su£fer, and for this reason a substance is sought 
as a covering which will be as impervious as possi- 
ble to the heat This is found in the solar4opee, a 
thick pith made into helmet-shaped hats with broad 
brims, and curved so as to protect the temples and 
the back of the neck. These hats are an inch or 
more in thickness, and though large, are very light 
No foreigner should venture out in the sun without 
this protection, and usually a double -lined um- 
brella should also be added. The natives wear 
large turbans, and some of them wear little else ; 
they are able to endure exposure for hours to a 
scorching sun which would strike down a European 
in a few minutes. 

The second day at Benares I visited Samath, 
four miles distant, the ancient cradle of Buddhism, 
where a colossal tower stands one hundred and ten 
feet high and ninety-three feet in diameter, and is 
regarded as a sacred relic by thousands of pilgrims 
who yearly visit it Adjoining the grounds is a 
beautiful grove of mango-trees and a deep well ; 
also a series of stalls or booths where the pilgrims 
sleep. In drawing water from the well, my guide 
extemporized a cup from a large plantain-leaf, from 
which he drank and then handed it to me, apologizing 



TOPE OF SAH 



I 






* *. t. 



« 



^ k. c ^ 



•« * 



* w W 






* -» e 



I 



SENARE\S, 173 

for sipping from it first, as it would break his caste 
were he to drink after it had touched my lips ! I 
told him that my ideas of politeness were equally 
in danger of being broken, and with an air of of- 
fended dignity I declined to receive the cup. 
Whereupon the guide, who was very polite in other 
matters, ran hastily into the garden, and with some 
ingenuity fashioned another cup, from which I con- 
sented to drink. 

The tower, or " Tope of Samath," an illustration 
of which is presented on the opposite page, is a 
composite structure, the base of which is built of 
blocks of Chunar stone, and the upper portion of 
massive bricks. The sides of the tower are covered 
with a thick growth of grass and weeds, and a small 
tree has taken root near the top. The ground is 
strewn with piles of broken bricks loosened and 
detached by the ravages of time. The elaborate 
carvings on the base of the tower are partly oblitera- 
ted by the action of wind and rain, but a trellis work 
pattern may still be traced in the stone, interspersed 
with lotus-lilies and beautiful designs. There are 
eight projecting faces on the tower, into each of 
which a deep niche is cut. ' These niches undoubt- 
edly once contained life-size statues of Buddha and 
his disciples ; but they have long since disappeared. 



174 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

After walking around the tower, I descended 
into a dark tunnel that had been excavated directly 
through it. A decrepit old man preceded me as 
guide, and upon entering the tunnel with torches, 
myriads of bats flew around us and out into the 
open air. In the centre of the tower we found a 
shaft leading to the top. Looking up through the 
darkness to the small opening more than one hun- 
dred feet above us, it appeared like a great chimney, 
along the sides of which the frightened bats were 
fluttering, disturbed by the smoke and flare of our 
torches, and their wings sent pieces of broken brick 
tumbling down occasionally upon our heads. 

Formerly it was supposed that this tower con- 
tained hidden treasure, and the Mohammedans and 
English both pierced it by boring the tunnel and 
sinking the vertical shaft, in hopes of securing the 
prize — in the same manner that the Caliphs of 
Cairo once bored into the great Pyramid of Cheops, 
to secure the ancient treasures which they imagined 
to be stored there. But nothing was found save a 
solid mass of brick and stone. 

A few steps from the tower is a small Buddhist 
temple, containing a white marble altar and a black 
image of Buddha. The familiar lotus-lilies, so 
frequently seen in the temples of China and Japan, 



/' - 



BENARES, 175 

were in front of the image. I inspected the little 
temple with great interest, not only because it was 
the first one of the kind I had observed in India, 
but because it marked the birthplace of that great 
and mysterious religion, which holds sway over one 
fourth of the human race. My former residence in 
a Buddhist temple in Japan had familiarized me 
with the forms and ritual of Buddhism, and com- 
pared with them the Hindoo temples and worship 
of India appeared strange and unnatural. But this 
little shrine at Sarnath seemed somewhat natural 
and even home-like ; and it was all the more inter- 
esting as marking the site of the " Bethlehem of 
Buddhism." 

Here at Sarnath, Gaudama, the founder of Budd- 
hism, came to live at the beginning of his career, and 
here he practised the severest asceticism for five 
years, before starting forth as a religious teacher 
and reformer of Brahminism. Tradition says that 
he was a prince who renounced his wealth and rank, 
and gave himself to religious contemplation. He 
was contemporary with Thales in Greece, Zoroaster 
in Persia, and Confucius in China ; but his influ- 
ence on the race was more far-reaching than that 
of either of these sages. 

His preaching was directed against the sins and 






y* 



176 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

idolatrous practices of his day ; and he was special- 
ly vehement against intemperance, falsehood, theft, 
and murder. He taught that all desires and pas- 
sions should be restrained, and that the soul should 
attain to a state of passivity and peace through se- 
vere asceticism. Gaudama never presented himself 
as an object of reverence and worship, however; 
nor did Confucius, his contemporary in China. 
Both of these sages would have been surprised and 
shocked, could they have foreseen the altars and 
images which would be erected by their disciples to 
their honor after their death, and before which idol- 
atrous rites would be performed, similar to that 
idolatry which they so strongly condemned in their 
lifetime. But undue reverence for the founders of 
religious systems appears to be met with every- 
where in the history of the race. 

Gaudama, or Buddha, has been worshipped in 
all the countries whither his teachings have come ; 
Confucius has been deified by his countrymen, 
whom he taught to turn from the grosser forms of 
idolatry ; Mohammed has had more reverence paid 
to one of his old slippers, or single hairs plucked 
from his beard and handed down as sacred relics, 
than he would have permitted any of his followers 
to pay at the holiest mosque at Mecca. Even the 






BENARES, 177 

Romanist; in his undue adoration of the statues of 
the saints and apostles, and painted pictures of the 
Virgin, is not far behind the priests of Jupiter at 
Lystra, whom Barnabas and Paul rebuked for bring- 
ing garlands and sacrifices wherewith to do them 
homage. 

To the Asiatic mind, the hope of immortality 
brings no such thrill of joy and anticipation as it 
does to the Christian. The present life is an inces- 
sant struggle against the ills and wretchedness of 
the world, and mere existence is itself a burden. 
Man is the creature of a cruel and remorseless fate ; 
the very deities he worships thirst for his blood, 
and bring the miseries of poverty and pestilence, 
famine and fire, earthquake and cyclone upon him. 
There is no "stability or security here, and no hope 
hereafter. All is fleeting, deceptive, and unreal. 
Each soul has passed through countless cycles of 
existence in the past, and must pass through suc- 
cessive stages of births and deaths in the future. 
The thought of " eternal life," therefore, has little 
in it to kindle enthusiasm, for it simply means a 
continuance of that existence which never yet has 
been found a blessing. 

The philosopher Bacon has said, " Being, with- 
out well-being, is a curse." And certainly the aver- 

Honff-Kong , etc 20 



178 FROM HONGKONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

age Asiatic can respond to the truthfulness of the 
statement, at least in his religious experience. The 
only hope held out to his soul is, that after mi- 
grating for ages through stages of life, inferior 
and superior, he may at last arrive at Nirvana, or 
complete absorption in Buddha, where alone true 
repose may be found. This doctrine may appear 
to the active and energetic European mind a very 
unsatisfactory one on which to base a religious sys- 
tem, and the practical Anglo-Saxon would certainly 
persist in learning something more definite of the 
" whence, why, and whither." Yet the history and 
growth of Buddhism during twenty-three centuries 
attest how strong this single principle has become 
in its hold upon the race, and how multitudes of 
men in every age have turned their eyes away from 
the suffering and insecurity of this present life to a 
state of possible release and rest beyond the grave, 
even though that state of rest were but a step re- 
moved from annihilation. 

Sarnath was once a suburb of the city of Ben- 
ares, but now the latter has shifted its position 
three miles to the southward, so that the ancient 
shrine of Buddhism is left in the midst of an open 
plain. Cities often undergo a "change of base" in 
the course of centuries : Benares and Delhi in In- 






BENARES. 179 

dia, Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt, and Jericho in 
the Jordan valley, are instances easily noted by the 
traveller, where the sites of the ancient and mod-, 
em cities have very materially changed. 

But Benares, though the cradle of Buddhism, 
has completely relapsed into Hindooism; just as 
Jerusalem, though the cradle of the Christian reli- 
gion, has fallen into the fanatical power and mis- 
rule of Mohammedanism. 

Buddhism, while dying at its source, has spread 
eastward through Asia, converting the people of 
Burmah, Farther India, Siam, China, and Japan to 
its mystic sway. Even so Christianity, while prac- 
tically expelled from Palestine, has continued to 
spread through Europe and America, until its mis- 
sionary forces now confront this ancient system of 
Paganism on the borders of the Asiatic continent. 

Buddhism has been emphatically a proselyting 
religion, and certainly a successful one in the num- 
ber of its converts. Nor has its influence been 
entirely baneful in the history of the heathen world ; 
on the contrary, as a religious reform it accomplish- 
ed much good, and though subsequently corrupted, 
its morals have always been higher than those of 
most other pagan systems. Compared with Hin- 
dooism, it is superior both in teachings and ritual ; 



cv 



^"7% 



1 80 FJ^OM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS, 

and in viewing the bloody and frequently obscene 
rites in the Hindoo temples of Benares, I could not 
but wish that Buddhism had been as successful 
here as in other portions of Asia, 

Benares ranks among the four chief " holy cit- 
ies " of the world. What Rome is to the Papist, 
and Jerusalem to the Israelite, and Mecca to the 
Mohammedan, this Benares is to the multitudes of 
Hindoos who travel towards its sacred ghats across 
the burning plains of India. As we go to Rome to 
study Romanism, so do we come to Benares to study 
Hindooism ; for this ancient system of superstition 
is still the prevailing religion of Hindostan. It 
holds its own against all the influences and assaults 
hitherto brought against it, and has successfully 
resisted some of the strongest religious reforms 
ever projected. It fought for centuries with Budd- 
hism for the conquest of India ; but Buddhism was 
driven to other countries, as we have already shown, 
and Hindooism retained the mastery at home. 

Mohammedanism came next in the days of the 
Mogul Empire, and for a time the fierce iconoclasts 
prevailed ; temples and idols were overthrown, and 
the great Mosque of Arungzebe was built in the 
very heart of the holy city of the Hindoos, where it 
now stands, with its tall minarets overtopping the 



VTT 



BENARES, i8i 

highest spires in the sacred city. But even the 
power of the Great Mogul, and the fanatical zeal of 
his Mohammedan subjects, could not crush out 
Hindooism; and to-day the thousand temples on 
the banks of the Ganges at Benares, thronged with 
tens of thousands of worshippers, prove how firmly 
rooted Hindooism still is in this its ancient centre. 

And now come the modem influences of West- 
ern science and cirilization. I have mentioned the 
imposing Government College recently completed 
at Benares for the instruction of Hindoo youths ; 
but if secular and scientific education does not suc- 
ceed better at Benares, in the work of religious re- 
form, than it has succeeded during thirty years in 
Calcutta, Hindooism will still survive even this 
test. 

Direct Christian missionary effort seems to be 
the only effective means of meeting the dark and 
difficult question ; but here the resources at com- 
mand are so limited, and the work to be accom- 
plished is so vast, that to human view no reasona- 
ble hope could seem to be entertained of accom- 
plishing any radical reform among the masses of 
the people. Comparatively speaking, the results 
of missionary effort here are yet as a drop in the 
bucket. 



i82 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

The second day at Benares, I started off before 
sunrise to visit the temples and places of interest 
in the city proper. The " Monkey Temple *' was 
the first one inspected, and here I found a conical- 
shaped tower, or pagoda, in the centre of a square 
enclosure. Under this tower sat the grim image 
of the goddess Doorgha, the wife of Shiva, the De- 
stroyer. In front of the image a forked stick, like 
the letter Y, was placed in the ground, where little 
black kids were sacrificed. The kids were brought 
in, bleating piteously, and their heads were placed 
in the forked stick, and then struck off with a knife. 
The worshipper then smeared his forehead with the 
blood, and stood before the idol. 

But the most peculiar feature of the temple con- 
sists in the monkeys who frequent the place, and 
who keep chattering at a lively rate while looking 
down upon you from every niche and cornice and 
pinnacle of the pagoda. The monkey is a sacred 
animal to the Hindoo, and is allowed all the privi- 
leges of the temple. Purchasing a quart of rice 
from the priest, I threw the grain upon the pave- 
ment, when suddenly down came the monkeys in 
one chattering avalanche from every pinnacle, 
niche, and alcove, and from the neighboring trees 
and fences, until the court enclosure was well nigh 






• o *^ 






• „ 



BENARES. 185 

filled with them. There were about four hundred 
in all ; some were old and grave, while others were 
young and frisky. They behaved remarkably well 
at first, but as the grain became scarce, they be- 
gan to scrabble and scratch each other. The old 
monkeys boxed the ears of the little ones, and the 
young creatures turned the most ludicrous series of 
somersaults in their efforts to escape. When the 
rice was all finished the monkeys went back to their 
perches on the temple. 

Taking a boat, I proceeded up the river-bank to 
witness the bathing in the Ganges. The bank is 
steep, and lined the whole length with ghats, tem- 
ples, and long flights of stone steps, as seen in the 
accompanying picture. Booths and awnings were 
so arranged as to afford every facility for bathing. 
All castes and classes of men, women, and children, 
were plunging in the waters of the sacred river, and 
worshipping at the same time that they performed 
their ablutions. Small white flowers were sprinkled 
by thousands upon the bosom of the river and in 
front of the little shrines on the banks. No Hin- 
doo may eat, or go about his daily avocation, until 
he has first bathed in the sacred stream and wor- 
shipped at the shrine of his particular deity. Among 
the bathers I noticed a fine-looking class of men 



i86 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

with white threads about their necks ; these were 
Brahmins of the highest caste, and they are greatly- 
reverenced by all inferior classes. One Brahmin 
whom I passed stood motionless on a stone pedes- 
tal at the water's edge ; he balanced himself on one 
leg, clasped his hands, and turned his face full upon 
the rising sun. In this position he remained sev- 
eral minutes, while his lips muttered numberless 
prayers to the bright luminary. If he besought the 
sun not to shine with such scorching power, I felt 
more sympathy with the object of his petition than 
with some of the prayers that I saw offered that 
morning before the blood-smeared shrines. 

Most of the bathing was conducted with perfect 
propriety, and though the whole city appeared to 
come down to the water's edge within the space of 
a few hours, there was no confusion and very little 
boisterousness. The young Hindoo lads seemed to 
enjoy the fun hugely, and swam about the boat, 
splashing and laughing, as if bathing to them was 
anything but "sacred." They were as much at 
home in the water as ducks. Women were seen 
carrying jars of water upon their heads to the sick 
and aged who could not come to the river. 

The fires at the "burning-ghats" were smoul- 
dering as we passed, and bodies were lying there 



BENARES. 



187 



ready for cremation. AU that die in the city are 
brought here, and many old people come from a 
great distance to die at the holy city ; the last wish 
of a devout Hindoo is to be burned after death on 
the river-'bank at Benares, and have his ashes scat- 
tered on the surface of the sacred river. 

Leaving the boat, I ascended the lofty minaret 
of the Mosque of Arungzebe, which rises two hun- 
dred and fifty feet above the level of the river; 
the tower and staircase are of solid stone, and at 
the top a splendid view was obtained of the city 
and its surroundings. The Ganges could be traced 
far away to the east and west ; to the north were 
the plains and ruins of Samath, and through the 
city were scattered temples and glittering pinna- 
cles. The houses were old and gray and dilapi- 
dated, the roofs were flat and dusty, and through 
the hot haze that imparted a misty effect to the 
scene, Benares appeared indeed like a city of by- 
gone centuries. 

Descending the minaret, I wound my way 
through a maze of narrow lanes, called streets, and 
entered a score of conical-roofed temples crowded 
with multitudes of people, who were praying, sacri- 
ficing, and -offering white flowers on the various 
shrines. Most of the devotees were clad in white, 



nong-Kons, etc. 



21 



V- 



1 88 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

and notwithstanding the confusion, there was a de- 
gree of sincerity and earnestness apparent in their 
ceremonial worship which I had never witnessed in 
other parts of the East. 

They paid little or no attention to the foreigner, 
whose presence was possibly regarded as an intru- 
sion ; but they went right on with their devotions, 
which consisted mainly in strewing the white flow- 
ers on the lingam, or black stone, gtftd then washing 
them off by streams of Ganges water poured upon 
them by the Brahmins. 

The images of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, were 
to be seen occasionally seated together on the al- 
tars ; they were usually small and sufficiently ugly, 
but were constructed sometimes of gold and silver, 
and profusely ornamented with precious stones. In 
the midst of the temple a marble basin of large size 
was sometimes placed, in which the people strewed 
what remained of their white flowers, and emptied 
their brass utensils of Ganges water. In one or 
two of the temples T found I could not go very near 
the inner recess, or " sacred" shrine, with impunity, 
for the Hindoos do not allow a stranger the liberty 
in approaching their altars, which- the Buddhists do 
in China and Japan. The fetid odors from some of 
their shrines would have kept me at a respectable 






BENARES. i«9 

distance, however, even if nothing more formidable 
had intervened. 

Wonderful wells abound in this vicinity also ; 
most of them had iron railings about them, and 
looked like enclosed cesspools. There were "Wells 
of Wisdom," " Wells of Fate," " Wells of Purifica- 
tion," etc., but all of them were decidedly dirty. 

The square courtyard of one temple was occu- 
pied by a dozen or more " sacred" white cows, which 
appeared as fat and sleek and contented as the 
priests who kept them. These cows are not only 
ivorahipped at the temple, but also when they walk 
the narrow streets. Everybody turns aside from 
them with due respect, and should they deign to 
stop and help themselves to the green delicacies of 
a fruit-stand or vegetable store, it is counted a good 
omen, and they are permitted to eat what they 
please without molestation. I nearly came to grief 
once by giving a cow a gentle reminder with the 
end of my umbrella to get out of the way when I 
wanted to pass her on a narrow street. The cow 
did not complain, but some of the cow-worshippers 
looked as though they would like to visit speedy 
retribution upon me. 

In going through some of the streets I noticed 
that the people turned aside from me with almost 



1 



190 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

as much respect as they would show to a white cow, 
and they hugged the walls very closely until I had 
passed. Of course I felt quite honored to find my- 
self ranked with one of the most " sacred "^ objects 
of worship in the holy city; but my pride came, 
down a few pegs when I learned that the people 
gave me plenty of leeway, not on account of my 
sacredness, but because their garments would have 
become defiled had they touched me, and that only 
the water of the holy Ganges could have washed 
away the stain ! 

The shops of the city are small, and are filled 
mainly with idols, images, and religious relics of 
every description. Many of the houses are mas- 
sive and solidly built, but the city is very close and 
compact. Some of the zenanas are gorgeous and 
richly furnished, but they are walled in and guarded 
by bolts and bars ; the city, except on the suburbs, 
has very little of the air of comfort or refinement 

The " Golden Temple" of Benares is the most 
conspicuous object when seen from a distance, for 
its high, conical roof is covered with copper plates 
gilded with gold, and the effect is very brilliant 
Four bells with silvery tones are rung ceaselessly 
here by the throngs of worshippers, and the temple 
appears the most popular in the city. 






>'!•<: 



e e V . >. . * . 



BENARES. 193 

Returning from this temple, I passed through a 
stone court, in the centre of which was a large stone 
bull with garlands twined about his neck. On the 
ground sat 2l fakir, or religious devotee, who seemed 
the most repulsive object I had ever encountered. 
His naked body was begrimed with dirt, and his 
matted hair was covered with ashes; the nails of 
his fingers and toes had grown to a great length, 
and his skin had the appearance of tanned leather. 
His long and bony right arm was held up pointing 
to the sky, and it was said he never took it down. 
In his left hand he carried a short iron rod with 
rings attached, and around his neck were strings of 
beads and black berries. He sat bolt upright, heed- 
ing not the throngs of people who passed, and many 
of whom touched him and even mumbled prayers to 
him ; for this hideous-looking individual was regard- 
ed as a saint, and his self-imposed penances were 
believed to bring him an unlimited store of merit 
in the sight of the gods, from which others might 
draw. I watched him awhile to see whether he 
took down his arm or not, and when a man gave 
him some black beans to eat, he took them, but im- 
mediately raised his withered arm again and con- 
tinued pointing to the sky. 

Another devotee I met on the road, measuring 



194 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

his length upon the ground and dragging his body 
through the dusL He was on his way to some 
temple or shrine, and by this slow and painful pro- 
cess it would take the whole day for him to reach 
it His motion was like that of a large inch-worm, 
as he slowly stretched himself at full length along 
the ground ; and the sight would have seemed lu- 
dicrous, had it been less sad. 

The accompanying picture is that of a fakir 
who became a somewhat conspicuous character in 
missionary circles in India. This old man thought 
that he had committed unpardonable sins against 
the gods. He made a vow therefore that he would 
wear an iron cage around his neck until he had 
begged sufficient money to enable him to dig a 
deep well in a dry country, which is considered a 
very meritorious act. The cage, or gridiron, rested 
on his shoulders like a Chinese cangue ; and upon 
it were his idol, some trinkets, and a few feathers. 
Around his neck were strings of seeds of the tul- 
sie-tree, upon which he counted his prayers. He 
begged for seventeen years, yet found no peace, 
and he continually dreaded the wrath of the gods. 
Passing through a village one day, he heard a mis- 
sionary preach from the words, "The blood of 
Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin." 






BENARES. J95 

He became converted, but still wore the cage for 
three years until his vow was fulfilled, and the well 
was dug. 

Then he became a preacher and an earnest and 
faithful helper of the missionaries in Southern 
India. 



196 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CAWNPORE AND THE MUTINY. 

If the heat had been found excessive in coming 
to Benares, it was still more so in leaving the city. 
All my sight-seeing had been accomplished within 
a few hours after sunrise, and the rest of the day I 
remained under the swinging punkahs at the hotel, 
keeping as cool and quiet as possible. But on learn- 
ing that a train would leave the railroad station at 
four o'clock p. M., and that this was the only one 
which would enable me to make connections with 
the night express from Mogul Serai to Agra, I 
determined at once to take it. 

The attempt to catch the train was a great risk, 
however, for the distance to the station was four 
miles, and the carriage must necessarily drive very 
slowly over a sandy road, where I would be exposed 
to the direct rays of a tropical sun for an hour or 
so, in the hottest part of the afternoon. 

I had never ventured out so early in the day 
since the *' hot season " had fairly set in, and from 
the warnings that old residents had given me, I had 



>r~ 



CAWNPORE AND THE MUTINY, 197 

grave misgivings whether it could be safely ventured 
upon even where the necessity of the case gave me 
but little choice. 

The first three miles were accomplished without 
very great discomfort, but on the fourth mile, where 
the carriage dragged slowly through the sandy 
river-bed and across the miserable bridge of boats, 
the temperature within the close carriage rose to a 
furnace-like heat, and I seriously doubted whether 
my head could endure the terrible pressure and 
heavy throbbing until the train was reached. At 
last, however, the river was crossed, and I stagger- 
ed from the carriage into the d^pot, where I found 
as usual that I was about the only foreigner on the 
train. 

Before starting, a very pleasant-looking native, 
whom I had met in the city, came up to me and 
said he was sorry to see that the heat affected me 
so severely; and then added, "But you will find 
the hot winds much worse at Agra, sir, for natives 
as well as foreigners die there from the heat." This 
was consoling, under the circumstances, and I asked 
him how I might escape. " Oh," he replied reas- 
suringly, "do not fear, for God will keep you 
through it." 

Greatly struck at such a remark, coming from 

Rcng-Kong. etc. 2 2 



198 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALA VAS. 

such a source, I immediately inquired if he were a 
Christian. " No," he replied, " I am a Hindoo, but 
I believe in one God whom we may trust." I asked 
him if he did not believe in the forms of Hindoo 
worship which I had seen in the morning at Ben- 
ares, among his own people. He said he did not, 
for he counted all these idolatrous practices as 
"foolishness." "You belong to the sect of the 
BrahnKhSomajy then," I said. He replied that he 
did, and then he told me that Keshub Chunder 
Sen, the founder of the sect, whom I had met in 
Calcutta, had been to Benares, and preached to the 
people the new doctrine of Brahmoism, and that lie 
for one believed in it, and had renounced his idols. 
I told him that I was well acquainted with the 
teachings of the Brahm(hSontaj\ for I had enjoyed 
a long interview with Chunder Sen on the subject 
in his home at Calcutta. I also met some of his 
disciples who had just returned from the Madras 
Presidency, where they had gone on a preaching 
tour. Hopes had been excited in missionary circles 
that the BrahmO'Somaj would accomplish great re- 
ligious reforms, as it aimed to overthrow the tyranny 
of caste, break down idolatry and superstition, and 
introduce a more spiritual faith, founded on "the 
spirit of prayer " and belief in one God. 



•* N 



CA WNPORE AND THE MUTINY, 199 

But its positive denials of some of the funda- 
mental truths of Christianity, such as the Trinity, 
the divinity of Christ, and the necessity of a Medi- 
ator, make it harmonize but little with the teach- 
ings of Christian missionaries. In fact, a converted 
Brahmin who accompanied me in my visit to Chun- 
der Sen, told me that he thought pure Hindooism, 
with its doctrines of incarnation, sacrifices, sacred 
book^, the Hindoo trinity, and its ceremonial wor- 
ship, was a better preparation for Christianity than 
the philosophical abstractions of the Brakmo-Sotnaj, 
The comparative merits and demerits of the two 
systems may be questionable; but if the Somajdxd 
nothing more than turn the people away from their 
idols, as it did the young Hindoo with whom I was 
conversing, it had at least accomplished one step 
in the right direction. 

I bade good-by to the young man, thanking him 
for his suggestion, to trust in the Lord ; and indeed 
I 30on after had occasion to act upon his advice, 
for as night came on, with it came also the symp- 
toms of a severe sunstroke, which in this climate usu- 
ally develop themselves some hours after exposure. 

The symptoms were burning sensations of the 
back and spine, nausea at the stomach, and an in- 
describable pressure and ache in the head. The 



^ 



,- v 



200 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS, 

brain felt at times as if it would burst, and the spi- 
nal column as though it were a hot tube filled with 
melted marrow ! The diagnosis may sound ludi- 
crous, but the reality was no joke. I was alone in 
the car at the time, and could scarcely muster 
strength to keep in a sitting position ; but knowing 
that something must be done, I partially undressed 
and poured water continually over my head and 
neck. I then brought various remedies into requi- 
sition which I usually carried with me for emergen- 
cies. At length, at one of the stations, an engineer 
who had been twenty years in India, came into the 
the car; he gave me directions what to do, and 
helped me in the use of the proper remedies ; so 
that in three hours I was out of my " symptoms " 
and free from present danger. 

The next day I learned of two foreigners "found 
dead " on the down train from " heat apoplexy," and 
of five natives who had Succumbed to the same 
trouble, and were taken out at Cawnpore from a 
closely-crowded car. In one instance, which I 
learned of later, the conductor stepped up to a car- 
window and asked a gentleman sitting alone there 
for his ticket. No response being given, he touched 
him and found him dead. Two natives also died 
from heat on the same train. 



I 



CA WNPORE AND THE MUTINY. 201 

* 

These facts make "travelling for pleasure" 
sound rather paradoxical ; and so indeed it is, du- 
ring the "hot season" at least. That I may not 
appear unduly to exaggerate the heat, I may state 
on good authority that the government report of 
the maximum temperature at Allahabad during the 
three hottest months in India was 177^ Fahrenheit 
in the sun, and 1 50^ in the shade.- This seems in- 
credible, but I can vouch for the fact that the tem- 
perature in the cars, while travelling at noonday, 
frequently rose to 140^, which is quite as warm as 
anything I desire ever again to experience. 

Since leaving Calcutta I had not seen a drop of 
rain, nor was there a prospect of any for weeks to 
come. A cloudless sky, hot and hazy, with a fierce 
and blazing sun, made the heavens seem as brass 
above me, from the beginning to the end of my des- 
olate journey. The country appeared dry, parched, 
and deserted ; the railway stations were solemn and 
still, and frequently I was the only foreign passen- 
ger upon a whole train. 

During the six weeks of travel on the railways 
of India, I do not remember meeting a single per- 
son who was travelling for pleasure, though in the 
winter months tourists may be seen by the score, 
and the climate is then one of the most charming 



•-<. 



202 F/iOM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

in the world. The technical '^hot season " extends 
from April to the last of June, when the Monsoons 
break on the Western coast and the heavy rains 
bring reliet Then the country becomes bright and 
beautiful, and the fields are clothed with all the lux- 
uriance of tropical vegetation. But previous to 
that, the plains of India are like Sahara. 

Shortly before entering Allahabad our train 
crossed the Jumna bridge, which is 3,225 feet in 
length, and is said to have cost ;£400,cxx) sterling. 
The bridge has iron girders resting on stone piers, 
which are sixty-two feet in height from the low 
water level, and the foundations are twenty-^our 
feet below this level. The river at this point is 
half a mile wide, and the quicksands and strong 
current made the sinking of the piers exceedingly 
difficult. One immense pier in particular, pointed 
out to me from the car-window by my engineer 
friend, had cost, he said, more money and trouble 
than any other single bridge in India. 

There was formerly a saying among the natives 
in this section of country, that when England had 
bridged the Jumna, India was hers, and not until - 
then. At Allahabad, a splendid new railroad sta- 
tion was in course of completion, which was the 
largest in the country 



' *^ : f -t 



. \ 



CA WNPORE AND THE MUTINY. 203 

At this point passengers from Calcutta change 
cars for Bombay ; but those proceeding " up coun- 
try" continue on the main line which runs north- 
ward between the rivers Jumna and Ganges. I 
took the latter route, as I was bound for Agra, 
Delhi, and the Himalayas ; but a few weeks later 
it was necessary to return five hundred miles to 
Allahabad in order to reach Bombay. 

India, like our own country, is a land of "mag- 
nificent distances," and as Allahabad is the centre 
of its great railway system, the traveller usually 
rests here and considers how far he has reached in 
his journey. I found that I was scarcely half way 
" up country " as yet, though this station was five 
hundred and sixty-five miles from Calcutta on the 
one hand, and eight hundred and forty-five miles 
from Bombay on the other. I was hastening to 
reach Agra, which was three hundred miles beyond, 
or as far from Calcutta as Chicago is from New 
York ; and thence it would still be three hundred 
miles farther to the foot of the Himalaya Moun- 
tains. 

In brief, the whole journey from Calcutta to 
"the hilis," as they are called, was about twelve 
hundred miles, and the return to Bombay nearly 
fourteen hundred more. So that the " round trip," 



N«- 



'--V 



204 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

if continued in a straight line, would almost suffice 
to carry one across the American continent. 

The population of Allahabad is one hundred 
and thirty thousand, but, like Benares, the number 
of pilgrims who congregate here at certain seasons 
increases that number tenfold. The name Allaha- 
bad signifies " City of God." The Hindoos say- 
there are three rivers which meet here, namely : 
the sacred Jumna and Ganges, and a third river 
which flows from heaven, and is invisible. The 
point of junction is of course a very holy place, one 
of the most sacred in India. Here the Mila, or great 
religious festival, is yearly held, and hundreds of 
thousands of pilgrims, fakirs, and religious devo- 
tees of every sect, come from a great distance to 
celebrate the festival and to bathe in the Ganges. 

At such times the plain of the peninsula be- 
tween the two rivers is literally covered with the 
tents and temporary habitations of the vast multi- 
tude ; they have to be marshalled like a great army, 
and led down to the river in sections of several 
thousands each. Sometimes there is great loss of 
life in the crush and confusion. The Hindoos, 
however, count it a fortunate occurrence to die on 
such a sacred spot, for it insures entrance into Par- 
adise. The pilgrims even Bring the ashes of their 



'sr> > 



* 

I 



CA WNPORE AND THE MUTINY, 205 

dead from a great distance, to cast upon the sacred 
waters at the Mila ; they carry the ashes tied in a 
bundle at one end of a stick, and their food tied at 
the other end ! 

The rivers Ganges and Jumna were among the 
earliest to whose waters sacred significance was 
attributed. But other rivers of the world have also 
held high religious rank, in view of their supposed 
spiritual characteristics. The Nile was worshipped 
by the ancient Egyptians, and its waters brought 
the same fertility to the rainless regions of Egypt 
that the Ganges brings to the parched plains of 
India. Pilgrims go from the Christian countries of 
Europe to bathe in the river Jordan during " Pas- 
sion Week," and evince the same enthusiasm in so 
doing that the Hindoos manifest in bathing in their 
sacred Ganges. There are mountain streams and 
water-falls of sacred repute which I have visited in 
Ghina and Japan, where Buddhist pilgrims stand 
for hours in the cleansing current, hoping to wash 
away tlieir sins. Even the Mohammedans have 
great tanks of water connected with their mosques, 
and no son of Islam may worship acceptably until 
he has washed therein. 

Water is a most important element in the wor- 
ship in Ifidia ; and where rivers or tanks are want- 

Hong-Kongr, «tc. . 23 



1 



2o6 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

ing, deep wells are considered as necessary for spir- 
itual, as they are for physical health. In the ac- 
companying cut a Brahmini woman is seen going 
to the well, with a bucket and rope to draw the 
water, and an earthen jar in which to carry it 

The district beyond Allahabad is noted as the 
scene of many historic events, both ancient and 
modern, which I have not space to mention. At 
the town of Futtehpore, which was passed, Have- 
lock gained his first brilliant victory in India. 

At five o'clock in the morning the train reached 
Cawnpore. It is a very pretty place, and while the 
train was delayed I strolled around its environs. 
The interest in Cawnpore is chiefly associated with 
the massacre which occurred here during the last 
mutiny. 

In the midst of a park is a beautiful monument, 
known as the " Memorial Well." It represents an 
angel in white marble, with drooping wings, and 
face downcast, looking into the deep well below. 
The whole is surrounded by an octagonal stone 
screen of elaborate design, and the garden enclo- 
sure is tastefully laid out At the base of the mon- 
ument is the following inscription : " Sacred to the 
perpetual memory of a great company of Christian 
people, chiefly women and children, who near this 



» •> " 



« 



i 



• ft C u 



« \ 



-CA WNPORE AND THE MUTINY, 209 

spot were cruelly massacred by the rebel Nana 
Dhoondopunt of Bithoor, who cast the dying with 
the dead into the well below, on the 15 th day of 

July, 1857." 

While in Calcutta the most sickening reminis- 
cences of the mutiny were recounted to me by those 
who had been eye-witnesses of the events in this 
locality, and I could fill pages in describing the ter- 
rible scenes of bloodshed and misery. But a few 
words respecting the mutiny must suffice. 

In 1857, ^^ native Sepoy regiments, whom the 
English had trained, were becoming dissatisfied. 
They felt their numerical power, and knew that the 
English forces had been greatly weakened by the 
withdrawal of troops from India for the Crimean 
w^. When they were furnished with new Enfield 
rifles, bigoted Mussulmans among them circulated 
the report that the new cartridges which had been 
supplied to them were smeared with the fat of pigs 
and cows. The Sepoys refused to handle these 
cartridges, as they would lose their caste by so do- 
ing. Other causes of discontent fanned the flames 
of insurrection, and the signal for open rebellion 
was circulated through the country by means of 
ckuppaiiieSf a flat flour-cake used by all classes in 
Hindostan. 



f 



210 FROM HOXG'KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

The first outbreak occurred at Meerut, and soon 
after all the Sepoys throughout the country bad 
risen in arms, killed their officers, and banded their 
forces to drive out the hated English. In the cities 
of Allahabad, Agra, and Delhi, where there were 
large forts, the English garrison were able to take 
refuge therein and hold their own until reinforce- 
ments arrived. 

But at Cawnpore there was no fort Sir Hugh 
Wheeler, who was in command, had several thou- 
sand troops, but only a handful of them were Eng- 
lish soldiers. All the rest were Sepoys, who march- 
ed off with their guns and horses. Mustering the 
little remnant of his troops, he threw up intrench- 
ments on the parade-ground, into which he gath- 
ered two hundred and fifty men from different regi- 
ments, with as many civilians and native servants, 
and about three hundred and thirty women and 
children. 

The little garrison held out against the assaults 
of the enemy for several weeks, but were of course 
in no condition to withstand a siege, nor were they 
certain that an English army could be expected to 
bring them relief. 

In this extremity a proposal of surrender was 
received from the Sepoys, who promised that if the 



7^ 7" , 



CAWNPORE AND THE MUTINY, 211 

town were given to them, all the men, women, and 
children in the garrison would be permitted to de- 
part in safety, and that boats would be provided to 
take them down the Ganges to Allahabad. Sir 
Hugh Wheeler did not listen to these smooth prom- 
ises without misgivings, but the condition of the 
garrison was desperate ; and Nana Sahib, the com- 
mander of the Sepoys, who before the mutiny had 
professed great friendship for the English, took a 
solemn oath that they should be protected. Thus 
tempted, they yielded to the fatal surrender. 

The following morning the little garrison march- 
ed out of .their intrenchments and were escorted by 
the Sepoy army to the river. The women and chil- 
dren and the wounded were mounted on elephants. 
Arriving at the river, they embarked with eagerness 
in the boats that were to carry them to a place of 
safety, and pushed off into the stream. Suddenly 
a native officer raised his sword as a signal, and a 
masked battery opened from the bank upon the 
boats with grapeshot. A scene of confusion and 
horror followed that beggars description. Some of 
the boats were swamped, others were set on fire, 
and hundreds of men, women, and children, were 
struggling in the stream. The Mahratta horsemen 
rode into the river and cut down those who tried to 



■^w ». 'TTTT 



212 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

save themselves. Most of the men who reached 
the banks were massacred, and the women and 
children to the number of two hundred were car- 
ried back into the town as prisoners, in deeper 
wretchedness than before. 

They were kept in close confinement for three 
weeks, in dreadful uncertainty as to their fate, until 
the middle of July, when Havelock was approach- 
ing by forced marches to their relief. Nana Sahib, 
fearful that his prey would fall into the hands of the 
English, ordered that they should be put to death. 
The manner in which his order was executed is thus 
described in Kaye*s History of the Sepoy War : 

" There were four or five men among the cap- 
tives. These were brought forth and killed in 
the presence of the Nana Sahib. Then a party of 
Sepoys were told off and instructed to shoot the 
women and children through the doors and win- 
dows of their prison-house. Some soldierly instinct 
seems to have survived in the breasts of these men. 
The task was too hideous for their performance. 
They fired at the ceilings of the chambers. The 
work of death, therefore, proceeded slowly, if at all. 
So some butchers were summoned from the bazaars, 
stout Mussulmans accustomed to slaughter; and 
two or three others, Hindoos from the villages, or 



' CA WNPORE AND THE MUTINY. 

from the Nana's guard, were also appointed execu- 
tioners. They went in with swords or long knives 
among the women and children, as among a flock 
of sheep, and with no more compunction slashed 
them to death. 

" From a little before sunset till candlelight was 
occupied in completing the deed. The doors of the 
charnel-house were then locked up for the night, 
and the murderers went to their homes. Upon 
opening the doors next morning it was found that 
ten or fifteen women, with a few children, had man- 
aged to escape from death by falling and hiding 
under the murdered bodies of their fellow-pris- 
oners." 

A fresh order was sent to murder them also, but 
the survivors rushed out into an open court and 
threw themselves into a deep well. This gave the 
assassins a new idea, and they deliberately dragged 
forth all the bodies from the prison-house, and 
threw them, the dying and the dead together, in 
the well. 

The morning following the massacre. Have- 
lock's army arrived at Cawnpore ; and the soldiers 
rushed to the prison-house, in hopes of saving the 
unhappy captives. But the sight which met their 
gaze caused strong men to weep. The floor of the 




■*-■'• - 



s* 






214 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MA LA YAS, 

charnel-house was covered with blood, and long 
tresses of hair, shreds of dresses, and children's 
shoes and playthings, lay scattered around. On 
the walls they read the writings of the murdered 
victims, and the pillars were defaced with the 
marks of bullets and sabre strokes. On following 
the trail of blood to the well, they found the man- 
gled remains of all that martyred company. 

"Turning away from this ghastly sight, the 
soldiers only asked to meet face to face the perpe- 
trators of these horrible atrocities. But the Sepoys, 
cowardly as they were cruel, fled at the approach 
of the English ; and those who were taken had to 
suffer for the whole. All the rebel Sepoys and 
troopers who were captured, were collectively tried 
by court martial and hanged." 

But Nana Sahib, the leader in this terrible 
massacre, escaped justice ; nor has the most vigi- 
lant search on the part of the Government been 
able yet to discover him. 

The tragedy at Cawnpore gave a spirit of bit- 
terness to both parties in the strife; and subse- 
quently when the English forces captured Delhi, 
through the cannon-battered Cashmere Gate, the 
Sepoys were slaughtered unmercifully. While vis- 
iting Delhi, I was told that there was scarcely a 



CAWNPORE AND THE MUTINY, 215 

tree in the neighborhood of the city, but what, after 
the siege, had a rebel swinging to one of its 
branches. 

At Lucknow also, the capital of Oude, where 
the most heartrending scenes were enacted, the 
British troops, on coming to the relief of their be- 
sieged comrades in the city, captured a walled 
enclosure, within which they found two thousand 
Sepoys, and they killed every man ! 

For one hundred and fifty miles between Cawn- 
pore and Agra, we passed through the most abundant 
game country I ever saw. The land was flat and 
dry, and sprinkled here and there with trees, so that 
one could see a considerable distance, as when 
travelling on the prairies at home. The game 
abounded along the line of the railway more than 
elsewhere, attracted partly by the water in ditches 
near the track, and partly by the Ganges Canal, which 
has its terminus at Cawnpore, and comes at one 
point close to the railway. Its waters are fresh 
and cool, coming as they do four hundred miles 
from the melting snows and glaciers of the Himala- 
yas ; and its banks are ever fringed with verdure, 
even in the hot season. 

There were flocks of adjutant birds and storks, 
walking back and forth with stately mien, and bob- 

Bon2-Kons, elf. 2X 



2i6 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALA VAS. 

bing their great bills to us in friendly recognition. 
Peacocks with flowing tails were perched on neigh- 
boring trees, or sat on some raised knoll of earth, 
sunning their brilliant feathers. Countless num- 
bers of red and spotted deer stood gazing at us 
from the plains; sometimes they were in single 
pairs, but usually they were congregated in herds 
of two or three dozen, and guarded by sleek-looking 
bucks with big antlers. . Jackals and wild hares 
darted here and there among the bushes by the 
roadside ; and small birds of every kind and color 
perched on the telegraph poles. The Indian os- 
trich, or seAru, was more abundant than anything 
else on the plains ; it is tall, with long slender neck, 
and sloping body of grayish-white color. These 
birds are very pretty, and are always seen in pairs. 

Gypsies were also seen along the road, dwell- 
ing in temporary straw huts and tending flocks of 
cattle and goats. Wooded hills were seen in the 
distance, where bears and larger animals were to be 
found, including a wild cow with sharp horns, which 
is much hunted. 

From the car window an occasional glimpse 
could be caught of the Grand Trunk Road, built in 
former years by the East Indian Company, and 
itself a marvel of enterprise and engineering; it 



CAWNPORE AND THE MUTINY. 217 

extends all the way from Calcutta to Lahore, a 
distance of more than twelve hundred miles. It is 
finely graded, and shaded most of the way by a 
double line of splendid old trees. There are other 
trunk roads which join with this, and previous to 
the construction of the railway, all the traffic and 
travel of the country passed over roads such as 
these. The old style of journeying could still be 
seen illustrated, by watching the queer-shaped 
covered carts, drawn by camels, plodding their way 
along the road, or by lines of donkeys carrying 
goods. 

At Toondla Junction I changed cars for Agra ; 
and forty minutes more brought me in view of the 
city's hazy outlines, and I found myself gazing 
down the river towards the dome and minarets of 
that matchless marvel of architectural beauty, the 
Taj-Mahal, whose misty form loomed up in the dis- 
tance like an enchanted vision. 



,' 



2i8 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS, 



CHAPTER VIII. 

AGRA, AND THE TAJ MAHAL. 

The "Dak-Bungalow" is one of the peculiar 
institutions of India, provided by the English Gov- 
ernment for travellers, in places where hotel facili- 
ities are wanting. As I had never tried the " Dak," 
I thought I would do so at Agra ; and upon leaving 
the train, I took a carriage and drove four miles to the 
Bungalow. It was a one-story building, with a large 
thatched roof, and stood in the midst of a broad 
open space with trees about it. As I rode up, ten 
elephants were picketed under the shade of the trees 
trying to keep cool, and twisting their trunks and 
tails in a very vigorous manner. Any traveller 
may claim accommodations at the Dak-Bungalow 
for twenty-four hours, but if the building is crowded, 
he must at the end of that time give place to others. 
The rates are regulated by fixed tariff, and are very 
reasonable. At the season in which I travelled, I 
usually had the " daks " to myself, and the hotels 
also, for that matter ; of the two I rather preferred 
the hotels when they could be had. 

At the Agra "dak" every attention was paid 



V . 



AGRA, AND THE TAJ-MAHAL. 219 

me, but with the exception of the soft-footed khan- 
samer, or steward, who came in occasionally, I was 
entirely alone ; and as the day was frightfully hot, 
I occupied myself in looking through the window 
slats at the elephants. 

About sunset I walked down to explore the 
Agra " Fort," and here I obtained my first adequate 
conception of the marvellous magnificence of those 
princely palaces, mosques, and halls, which the 
Mogul conquerors were wont to raise for themselves. 
It was their policy to build their palaces and strong- 
holds of defence within the same area, so that their 
kingly splendor might be supported, and protected 
if need be, by the strong arm of military power. 
When, therefore, I visited the Fort at Agra, I found 
it not merely a fortification, as the name might 
imply, but an enclosure of more than a square mile, 
containing buildings of various designs, which per- 
tained mostly to the royal court, and gave evidence 
of oriental magnificence, both as to extent and lav- 
ish ornamentation. The grounds of the Forts are 
surrounded by a massive wall of red sandstone, 
seventy feet high, with a deep moat, drawbridges 
and battlements. Perforations are so arranged in 
the walls, as to serve for cannon, musketry, or the 
older weapons of warfare. 



220 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. ' 

The Fort is still a stronghold, however, and is at 
present occupied by a small British garrison of a 
hundred and fifty men ; some of the large buildings 
of the interior serve the purpose of an arsenal. 
Within the enclosure is the large public audience 
hall, with King Akbar s judgment-seat ; and behind 
this, facing the river, is a range of buildings with a 
square court and elevated terraces, which buildings 
were the palaces of the Mogul monarch. 

As I wandered through the vast halls and de- 
serted corridors of Akbar's palace, and met one 
surprise after another of architectural splendor, and 
paced the marble floors or climbed the lofty para- 
pets of the Fort — without so much as meeting a 
single person — it seemed as though the wealth and 
magnificence of by-gone centuries were spread 
around me, and yet all was desolate and still. 
Imagination could easily restore the stately edifices, 
and people the deserted chambers and throne-room 
with the princes and ladies of Akbar's court. The 
garden, baths, zenanas, and reception-halls were 
once alive with music and merriment, and certainly 
fulfilled the highest ideals of oriental magnificence. 

One court-yard is paved with squares of black 
and white marble, where Akbar and the ladies of 
his zenana were wont to play the eastern game -of 



AGRA, AND THE TAJ-MAHAL, 221 

piickisif a sort of backgammon. The beautifully- 
dressed ladies danced from square to square as the 
game proceeded, in the same way that the game of 
chess was once played in the French court, by 
substituting living knights for the pieces. There 
are underground passages in the Fort, where the 
ladies of the harem are said to have played hide- 
and-seek, in innocent mirth. 

During the late visit of the Prince of Wales in 
India, the palace became once more filled with life 
and courtly magnificence ; for a state reception was 
here given to the Prince, in which the rajahs and 
native princes, and their richly-robed attendants 
took part. It would have made the great Mogul 
start to have seen his palace chambers changed to 
a banqueting hall, where British officers in bright 
uniforms feasted and made merry with the native 
princes, who held their titles but not their power, 
and were but subjects of a foreign crown. 

In the centre of the Fort I observed long rows 
of unmounted cannon, and piles of black cannon- 
balls; these grim looking implements of modern 
warfare appeared in strange contrast with the pala- 
tial surroundings and ancient oriental architecture. 

*'The glory of Agra dates from the reign of 
Akbar the Great, who made it the capital of the 






' 222 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS, 

Mogul Empire. He built the Fort, with its long 
line of castellated walls rising above the river, and 
commanding the country around. Within this 
enclosure were buildings like a city, and open spaces 
with canals, among which were laid out gardens 
blooming with flowers. On the river side of the 
Fort was a lofty terrace, on which stood the palace, 
built of the purest marble. It was divided into a 
number of pavilions whose white walls and gilded 
domes glittered in the sun. Passing from one 
pavilion to another over tassellated pavements, we 
enter apartments rich in mosaics and all manner of 
precious stones. Along the walls are little kiosks 
or balconies, the windows of which are half closed 
by screens of marble, which yet are so exquisitely 
carved and pierced as to seem like veils of lace, 
drawn before the flashing eyes that looked out from 
behind them." 

Attracted by three gilded spires which shone 
above the other buildings, I climbed a flight of 
steps to the top of a lofty platform of red sandstone, 
upon which I found a beautiful structure of pure 
white marble. I had never beheld such a gem of 
architecture, and for the moment I stood motionless 
in the midst of the marble court gazing at the scene 
before me. The edifice proved to be the famous 



• • C « w • 



L fc • 



W H. ^.' ^ 






w «_ 



V 



/" 



AGRA AND THE TAJ-MAHAL. ' 225 

Pearl Mosque, which is justly considered one of the 
most perfect structures in India. The simplicity 
of design was only equalled by the beauty of its 
workmanship. It consists of an inner court flanked 
by pavilions, and at the farther end is a raised mar- 
ble hall, the carved ceiling of which is upheld by 
triple rows of pillars and Saracenic arches. Sur- 
mounting the roof are three spotless white domes, 
- with small gilded spires. The domes, arches, pil- 
lars, walls, and pavement were all of pure white 
marble, and not another tint was visible, except 
the golden traceries which ornamented the columns, 
and which, contrasted with the brilliant white of 
the marble, gave a most striking effect. The beau- 
tiful gateway and pavilions of the court are of the 
same material. 

I paced back and forth under the arches of the 
main hall, loath to leave it, and there seemed a 
solemnity even in the echo of my own footsteps. 
Bishop Heber, in describing the Pearl Mosque, 
says, " It is a sanctuary so pure and stainless, re- 
vealing so exalted a spirit of worship, that I felt 
^ humbled, as. a Christian, to think that our noble 
religion has never inspired its architects to surpass 
this temple to God and Mohammed." 

Though feeling the force of this thought, I could 

0on{-K6nc,'etc. !?C 



226 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

n6t agree that some at least of the Christian cathe- 
drals which I had visited— such as the cathedral of 
Cologne and the York Minster— express less of the 
spirit of worship than this temple of Allah. Yet 
the Pearl Mosque, which is comparatively small, is 
certainly the most perfect edifice of its size ever 
constructed. 

Darkness had fairly set in when I returned to 
my lonely "bungalow" quarters, and after a light 
supper I retired, leaving orders with the 'khansamer 
to wake me at three o'clock the next morning. 

" See the Taj first by moonlight," said a friend to 
me as I was leaving Calcutta. Accordingly I rose 
early, while the stars were still shining, and walked 
two miles along the banks of the Jumna to where 
the Taj stands in solemn silence by the riverside, 
as well becomes a tomb. It was like an enchanted 
vision growing grandly upon me as 1 came up tow- 
ards its swelling dome and white marble minarets, 
glistening in spectral beauty through the still night 
air, and rising far above the tall cypress-trees which 
stand in sentinel rows about it. 

The garden-grove in front of the main structure 
is entered through an arched gateway of colossal 
size, built of red sandstone, and capped by rows of 
twenty-six white cupolas; Through the pointed 



*■ V » ^ ^ 

O • • • *o 

ee • o • ^ 



w ^ 






AGRA AND THE TAJ-MAHAL. 229 

Saracenic arch of this gateway (the body of which 
is one hundred and forty feet high) the Taj stands 
out in bold relief against the dark sky, and one sees 
it and its elegant surroundings as though set in an 
appropriate frame, the arch limiting the boundary 
of one's vision. Passing down a straight and sha- 
ded avenue, lined by double rows of Italian cypress- 
es, with a score of fountain-jets, forming a water- 
way between, I came to an immense marble plat- 
form, raised on a solid masonry bed, so that its level 
was about that of the tree-tops in the garden. 

Not a sound could be heard in the stillness of 
the night, not even the chirping of crickets ; the 
lesser gateways were closed, and their keepers slept. 
Not wishing to waken them nor break this charm- 
ing silence, and finding a temporary staging on the 
other side, I mounted to the matble platform above, 
and there, alone in the soft moonlight, had the Taj 
to *my own solitary thought. (See frontispiece.) 

The structure is worthy of some celestial city, 
and can be described only as one would tell of an 
apocalyptic vision. 

Built entirely of pure white marble, it rises be- 
fore you from its marble base like some fairy fabric 
that never could have been made with hands. In 
form, it i& a perfect square with corners truncated. 



■V > 



230 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS, 

and on all sides is the same ; four grand and point- 
ed arches reach nearly to the cornice above— one 
on each face of the building — and two smaller 
arches (at the place where the comers are trunca- 
ted) are arranged one above the other. Through 
one grand arch alone is there an entrance to the 
structure ; all the others have simply screens of 
marble trelliswork, open to light and air, but debar- 
ring access to the interior. The whole building is 
surmounted by an Oriental dome of white marble, 
swelling out from the base into nearly two-thirds of 
a sphere, and tapering at the top into a crescent- 
tipped spire ; four smaller and similar-shaped domes 
are placed at the corners. When I entered the Taj 
and stood beneath this silent central dome, I caused 
it to be illuminated with brilliant blue fires, which 
were lighted for me by the torch-bearers whom I 
fouod asleep in the corridor. The effect was a 
splendor inconceivable, for if it was magnificent 
without, it was still more so within, and the white 
marble concave of the dome seemed like a celestial 
canopy, fit for the throne of the Invisible. Directly 
beneath it was a circular marble screen of filagree- 
work, enclosing two beautiful tombs, inlaid with 
flowers and mosaics of precious stones. The echo 
under this dome was marvellous in its sweetness 



^1 >• 



AGRA AND THE TAJ-MAHAL, 231 

and softness, and as I slowly whispered the tune of 
" Home, Sweet Home," it came back to me with 
increased volume, and like the loveliest strains of 
an angelic choir. 

The Taj is a tomb ; but it seems more like a 
temple of praise than a shrine of sorrow. It was 
built 'as a tribute of affection, in memory of the 
dead ; and the very spirit of love pervades its silent 
chambers, spiritualizing the cold marble, and ma- 
king the whole structure a dream — a poem in 
stone. 

1 sat for a long time under the centre of the 
dome, starting occasional musical notes to test the 
qualities of this wonderful whispering-gallery. My 
singing capabilities were never of the highest order, 
but A^r^ every sound was melody, and a thousand 
reverberations were wafted from the deep concave 
above, so that my voice for once, at least, amounted 
to a full orchestra ! 

After examining the rich mosaics, where pre- 
cious stones of variegated colors assume the forms 
and freshness of vines and flowers, I passed without 
the circular screen of marble fretwork, and descend- 
ed, with torch in hand, into the crypt below. Here, 
in a marble sarcophagus, rest the remains of the 
Empress Bungoo Begum, wife of Shah Jehan, the 



232 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MALA VAS. 

emperor who built the Taj, and whose tomb is now 
beside that of his wife. Both these sarcophagi are 
richly carved with vines and arabesques, like their 
counterparts in the chamber above; they are also 
covered with flowers and mosaics, set with jasper, 
sapphire, lapis-lazuli, onyx, chalcedony, and other 
precious stones. 

Leaving the interior of the Taj, I walked around 
it several times until daylight came on ; and then I 
climbed to a small cupola, on the top of one of the 
marble minarets, to see the effect of sunrise on the 
white dome and fretted walls of the Taj. As 'the 
sun rose, the reflection from the white marble struc- 
ture was too dazzling to be borne, and the eye 
sought relief in ranging over the fresh green tints 
of the immense garden, where mango-trees, cy- 
presses, pines, shrubbery, and flowers were inter- 
mingled in luxuriant profusion. In fact, the gar- 
den, and the colossal gateway by which it is enter- 
ed, form a most essential feature of the Taj and 
its surroundings. It is difficult for any picture or 
description to give an adequate idea of this match- 
less monument of art, for all the details of beauty 
cannot be brought in at once. To describe or pic- 
ture it in parts, is to lose the unique effect and har- 
mony of the whole. 



^ • 



■5 w. 



«■*- 







1 

I 

1 



AGRA, AND THE TAJ-MAHAL, 2Z5 

The Taj is flanked by two Mohammedan 
mosques, each of which stands about three hun- 
dred feet from it ; one of them is older than the 
Taj, and is considered very sacred by the Moham- 
medans, but the other was simply built to balance 
the architect's design. Both buildings are fully as 
large as the Taj ; the cupola and dome of one of 
them may be seen in the background of the illus- 
tration in the Frontispiece. The river Jumna flows 
peacefully in the rear of the Taj, and in the distance 
I could see the Fort and the picturesque city of Agra. 

There are many structures in the world which 
exceed the Taj in point of size, but none which rival 
it in ideal beauty and perfection of design. Its ar- 
chitects " built like Titans and finished like jewel- 
lers." They combined massive foundations with 
light and airy superstructures. The peculiar effect 
of Saracenic architecture comes from the slender 
columns, springing arches, swelling domes, and tall 
minarets ; and these elements all enter into the 
construction of the Taj, and give it an indescriba- 
ble air of majesty and grace. 

In concluding these observations on the Taj, it 
may* be appropriate to present a brief statement of 
its history, as given in the introduction of a Persian 
manuscript, namely : 



236 FROM HONGKOXG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

" This book gives an account of Bungoo Begum, 
whose title was * Mum Taj Mahal/ of all families 
most illustrious, better known as Taj Beebi, and 
Noor Jehan, * Light of the World.* She was the 
wife of the Emperor Shah-Jehan, 'Conqueror of 
Worlds/ 'Protector of the Poor/ 'Taker by the 
hand of the Distressed/ ' Most Learned and Wise/ 
and who had four sons by the Empress Mum Taj. 

" The firstborn was governor of Hindostan ; the 
second was governor of Bengal. He was clever 
and obedient. 

" * Happy the man who hath a son like this, 
Who by obedience aids his parents' bliss.' 

The third son governed the Deccan with wisdom ; 
the fourth son governed the region of the Indus, 
and was likewise good. The emperor had also four 
daughters, accomplished, beautiful, and obedient. 
On the birth of the last daughter the Empress Mum 
Taj Mahal died. 

" It was very sad. ' Without the will of God not 
a leaf stirs in the grove.* All the priests read pray- 
ers and used charms. The nurses rubbed her hands 
and feet. 

" * The medicos used all their skill, 
But saving her was not God's will.' 

When death arrives the doctors are of no use. 



AGRA, AND THE TAJ-MAHAL. 237 

"At last the empress said, * O king, I have lived 
with you through joy and affliction ; promise me two 
things before I leave you/ 

" The emperor said he would. 

" * Do not marry again, lest quarrels arise among 
your children. Build over me also such a beautiful 
tomb as the world never saw.' 

" Shah-Jehan promised both, and then the em- 
press died. 

" ' Were I to paint it, you all would weep ; 
Suffice to say, the king's grief was deep.* " 

The date of the empress' death was 1040 of the 
Hig-ree, or about 1630 a. d. During the space of 
seventeen years Shah-Jehan collected the materials 
of marble and precious stones wherewith to build 
the tomb. All parts of his dominions were made to 
contribute towards its magnificence, in the same 
way as the Jews were laid under tribute in the build- 
ing of Solomon's Temple. The estimate of its cost 
runs all the way from ten millions to thirty millions 
of dollars. The king died in 1665 A. d., and was 
placed in a marble sarcophagus beside the empress. 
The manuscript says, " From this transitory world 
eternity marched him off to the west." 



Hong-KoDg; etc 20 



\ JM -m .• 



238 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 



CHAPTER IX. 

DELHI, "THE ROME OF ASIA." 

After leaving Agra, a ride of eight hours 
brought me to Delhi, which is the terminus of the 
" East Indian Railway." Previous to entering the 
fine station here our train crossed an iron lattice- 
girder bridge, with twelve spans of two hundred 
feet each, below which is the broad and sandy bed 
of the Jumna. 

Delhi is sometimes called " the Rome of Asia ;" 
but the significance of the term I did not fully ap- 
preciate until I had explored more than ten square 
miles of ruins which surround the city, and which 
mark the former sites of all the ancient Delhis of 
by-gone centuries. The history of all the events 
which have transpired within the area occupied by 
these gray and tottering walls, and of the people 
who once inhabited these decayed and deserted pal- 
aces, would include the series of changes and con- 
quests which have shaken Northern and Central 
India for centuries. Delhi was the capital of the 
Mogul Empire until its dissolution. The city has 



DELHI, 239 

shifted its position from time to time, according to 
circumstances and the whims of its conquerors ; 
and the limit which it now occupies dates from the 
time of Humayoon, the father of Akbar, whose 
magnificent tomb is the most conspicuous object to 
the south of the modern city. 

Three hundred and thirty years before the Chris- 
tian era, Alexander the Great, having defeated Da- 
rius and conquered Persia, entered India, a portion 
of which Darius had previously subjected. Alexan- 
der crossed the Indus and advanced as far as the 
Sutlej, when his superstitious soldiers became 
alarmed at the prospect of going so far into an un- 
known country, and he was thereby forced to re- 
turn. 

During subsequent centuries the history of In- 
dia consisted in a series of successive invasions, 
marked by bloody strife, treachery, and cruelty. 
"One sovereign overturned another, one dynasty 
supplanted another, and again and again recurred 
the same old story. The first act of a monarch on 
ascending his throne was to murder his relatives, 
spoil a city, desolate a province, and slaughter, im- 
molate, or impale thousands — men, women, and chil- 
dren—of his predecessor's adherents. The glory 
of the Mohammedan dynasties which preceded the 



240 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

establishment of the Moguls consisted; in ' sacking 
cities, plundering temples, and winning bloody vic- 
tories." 

One of the latest of these sweet-tempered sov- 
ereigns was a woman, Rezia by name, who deposed 
her brother, and was counted as clever as she was 
beautiful. She is known to have been the only fe- 
male who ever ruled in Delhi. In our own day Queen 
Victoria has assumed the proud title of " Empress 
of India," and as such she rules over more Moham- 
medan subjects than the Sultan of Turkey. But 
Queen Rezia is the only female potentate who has 
ruled, as the head of all Indian sovereigns, in the 
capital of Hindostan, for such was Delhi then reck- 
oned. 

"It is narrated of her that she adopted a very 
ultra Bloomer costume, and went about administer- 
ing justice among men as if she herself were a man. 
A Turki chief, Altunia, rebelled against her. There 
was a severe battle, and she was defeated ; but she 
soon conquered hier conqueror — ^by marrying him !" 

In 1526, after the famous battle of Panipat, 
Delhi and Agra were taken by Sultan Biaber, a de- 
scendant of the Tartar Tamerlane ; and from this 
time must be dated the rise and progress of the 
Mogul Empire in India. 



PAL PALACE AT C 



e 

c 






e c 



* * w 



DELHI, 243 

Baber, the founder of this race of sovereigns, 
was the son of a Mongolian woman. He hated the 
Mongols, yet his dynasty obtained the name of that 
race, under the corrupt form of "Mogul." The 
Mogul Empire was one of the most splendid domi- 
nations India has ever known. In its palmiest 
days it was a source of real and wide good to Hin- 
dostan. According to Mohammedan authorities, 
there were fifteen emperors of this dynasty. Among 
the most noted of these were Humayoon, Akbar, 
Shah-Jehan, and Arungzebe, whose magnificent 
palaces and tombs form such prominent features of 
the architectural beauties of Agra and Delhi at the 
present day. In the accompanying picture a por- 
tion of one of these palaces is presented, exhibiting 
a grand combination of strength and beauty. 

All the Mogul emperors were Mohammedans, 
and as such were heartily opposed to Hindoo idola- 
try, which some of them attempted to stamp out ; 
but Akbar the Great initiated a policy of concilia- 
tion, which is without a parallel in Indian history 
previous to English rule in Hindostan. 

Arungzebe (the son of Shah-Jehan), who secured 
the throne by putting his relatives to death and by 
shutting up his father within the fort at Agra, re- 
versed the tolerant policy of Akbar, and inaugu- 



244 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HI MA LA VAS. 

rated a most cruel warfare upon the religious sys- 
tem of the Hindoos. The slaughter of infidels and 
pagans appeared to be his supreme delight, and for 
this he is most unduly lauded by Mohammedan 
writers. Nevertheless his reign, in its superficial 
aspects, was the most brilliant ever known in India. 
He was a man of boundless resources and indomi- 
table energy, and his arms were everywhere suc- 
cessful. He raised his mosques in the very midst 
of the sacred temples of the Hindoos ; and to-day 
the minarets of the mosque that bears his name rise 
far above the highest temples in Benares. He died 
in 1707, in the 89th year of his age ; and with him 
the glory of the Mogul Empire is said to have passed 
away. 

Internal dissensions rent the empire after the 
death of Arungzebe, whose extravagance and intol- 
erance had paved the way for revolutionary reaction, 
just as Louis XIV. of France, who was contempo- 
rary with Arungzebe, prepared the way for the 
French Revolution by the luxury and excessive 
prodigality of his Court. A recent writer thus fitly 
compares these two sovereigns : " There are many 
parallels between Louis XIV. and Arungzebe. They 
were contemporaries, and both had long reigns, the 
former a little over, and the latter a little less than, 



DELHI, MS 

half a century. They were the most splendid sov- 
ereigns of their time, one in Europe and the other 
in Asia, and with both the extravagance and prod- 
igality of the monarchs prepared the way for revo^ 
tution after their deaths/' 

A constant succession of wars between the dif- 
ferent pretenders to the throne kept the country in 
a continual blaze. Besides the internecine strife 
among the Moguls themselves, there were other 
conflicts which arose with the Mahrattas, who de- 
fied the power of the Icings of Delhi, and with the 
Rajputs, who rose and won for themselves inde- 
pendence. 

The Mahrattas were particularly troublesome. 
They were a brave and warlike people, who made 
war and plunder their chief occupation. They were 
good fighters, and thoroughly hated the Mohamme- 
dans. Their section of country consisted of a sue* 
cession of rocky hills rising above alluvial plains. 
Upon these elevations they constructed impregna- 
ble hill-forts, similar to some of the old castles which 
the Swiss traveller sees to-day in the upper valley of 
the Rhone ; and from these fortresses their horse- 
men started forth upon the most daring raids, nor 
were their ravages entirely stopped until British 
power put an end to their exploits. 






246 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

The last of the kings of Delhi was Mohammed 
Bahadur Shah, who made a miserable attempt in 
1857, with the aid of the disaffected Sepoys, to 
reinstate the Mogul regime and overthrow the Eng- 
lish rule. He was deposed and banished to Bur- 
mah, where he died ; his sons and grandson were 
captured in Humayoon's tomb, whither they had 
fled from the English, and were shot Thus ended 
the Mogul power in India, which was so splendid 
at its beginning, and so miserable and mercenary 
at its close, and the remains of which still strew the 
plains about Delhi with the broken monuments of 
a glory that has departed. 

The modem city of Delhi has a population of 
one hundred and fifty thousand, whereas the ancient 
city had nearly two millions. But the city, though 
reduced in size, is still flourishing, and trade is 
active. A wall, five and a half miles in circumfer- 
ence, encloses the city, which is entered through 
eight massive gates. The streiets of the city are 
alive with people of every. class and every variety 
of costume. In walking through the Chandney 
Chouk, or Broadway of Delhi — a picture of which 
is here given — I was struck with the enterprise and 
thrift of the city, compared with the sleepy and old- 
fashioned aspects of the streets- in Agra. The 






w u 
* w 



' ^- t 



DELHI. 249 

shops are rich in fabrics of every description man- 
ufactured here, and there was an air of business 
about the place that surprised me. 

Scarcely was I settled at the Star Hotel when 
the native merchants came and opened their goods 
before me, as though an inspection of them would 
be considered a great condescension on my part. 
They saluted me with the utmost deference, and 
then unrolled their bulky packages, spreading Cash- 
mere shawls, opera cloaks, gold and lace embroi- 
deries around me in the richest profusion. In vain 
I told them that a few " samples " were sufficient, 
and that Cashmere shawls and opera cloaks were 
not greatly needed on my journey; they politely 
persisted that they only wished to show me their 
wares, and that I was under no obligation to pur- 
chase them. Soon, however, they brought piles 
of caps and slippers embroidered in gold lace, and 
strewed them on the floor ; and to these they added 
sets of jewelry and precious stones. 

They explained how easily these little things 
could be carried, and how acceptable some of them 
would be to fair friends at home — a point respect- 
ing which my past experience in Japanese curios, 
silks, and lacquerware had sufficiently educated me. 
Finally I selected one of the most brilliant-looking 

Hong Frni: etc. 2 7 



250 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

caps, and made a " bid " for it ; the owner declared 
that the price o£fered was not half the value, but 
that simply out of his profound respect for me he 
would " let it go." 

The " Fort " at Delhi is a mile in circumference, 
and the palace buildings surpass even those at Agra. 
The wall of the Fort is sixty feet high, and the main 
entrance to the enclosure is by the " Lahore Gate." 
This consists of a massive stone arcade, five hun- 
dred feet long and of proportionate height, and is 
justly considered the finest structure of the kind in - 
the world. 

When fairly within the Fort, the first building 
confronting the traveller is the Dewan-I-Am, ox 
Hall of Public Audience. This is open on three 
sides, and supported by triple rows of red sand- 
stone pillars, which were once elaborately orna- 
mented. The ceiling of this chamber is said to have 
been beautified by solid silver plates, which were 
stripped off and sold in the London market for a 
hundred and seventy pounds sterling; the fresco 
and inlaid work on the walls were also destroyed 
during the mutiny. The only remnant of its former 
grandeur the hall now possesses is a raised throne 
set back in the wall, and covered by a canopy sup- 
ported by small marble pillars. 



DELHI. 251 

The Dewatt'I-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience,* 
stands some distance to the rear of the hall just 
mentioned. It is not so large as the Dewan-I-Am^ 
being a hundred and fifty feet long and forty feet 
in width ; but instead of red sandstone it is built of 
pure white marble, ornamented with light and deli- 
cate lines of goldwork, and in its way is the richest 
and most gorgeous specimen of art I ever beheld. 
The mosaic-work is of the most exquisite design ; 
and the columns, floors, and ceiling are covered 
with a profusion of flowers, wreaths, and patterns 
wrought in precious stones of every name and color. 

The top of the building has four small pavilions 
at the comers surmounted by gilt cupolas ; the 
ceilings were once covered with silver filigree-work, 
but the precious metal was seized and carried off 
by the Mahrattas about a century ago. 

"In this hall was the famous Peacock Throne, 
so called from its having the figures of two pea- 
cocks standing behind it, their tails expanded, and 
the whole so inlaid with sapphires, rubies, emer- 
alds, pearls, and other precious stones of appropri- 
ate colors, as to represent life. The throne itself 
was six feet long by four feet broad ; it stood on 
six massive feet, which, with the body, were of 
solid gold, inlaid with rubies, emeralds, and dia- 



252 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALA YAS, 

•monds. It was surmounted by a canopy of gold, 
supported by twelve pillars, all richly emblazoned 
with costly gems, and a fringe of pearls ornamented 
the borders of the canopy. Between the two pea- 
cocks stood the figure of a parrot of the ordinary 
size, said to have b.een carved out of a single emer- 
ald. On either side of the throne stood an umbrel- 
la — one of the Oriental emblems of royalty; they 
were formed of crimson velvet, richly embroidered 
and fringed with pearls ; the handles were eight 
feet high, of solid gold, and studded with diamonds. 
The cost of this superb work of art has been esti- 
mated at sums varying from two to six millions of 
pounds sterling. It was planned and executed 
under the supervision of Austin de Bordeaux, the 
artist who executed the mosaic-work in the De- 
wan-I-Khas." 

The Peacock Throne was carried off by Nadir 
Shah, a Persian conqueror, who plundered the city 
and palace, putting out the eyes of the Great Mo- 
gul, telling him in bitter mockery that he had no 
more need of his throne, since he had no longer 
eyes to see it. 

In such a warm climate as India, the princely 
halls were designed to be open and free to light and 
air ; so that they were not enclosed by walls, but like 



DELHI, 253 

the riewan-I-KhaSy were formed by great flat roofs, 
supported by beautiful columns and rows of arches 
of the Saracenic style. 

At each end of this hall a cornice has sculptured 
upon it, in letters of gold, an inscription in the Per- 
sian language, " If there is a paradise on earth, it is 
this, it is this." 

Adjoining this superb building are the " royal 
baths," which consist of various marble tanks and 
richly-decorated apartments, for the emperor and 
the many fair members of his zenana. The marble 
chambers are surmounted with small white domes, 
and the walls have peculiar-shaped windows with 
stained glass. The tanks are about chin-deep, and 
provided with pipes for warm and cold water ; and 
bordering the edge of the room are depressions in 
the marble floor, where streams of water were kept 
continually running. Flowers and patterns of ex- 
quisite designs are wrought in mosaic upon the 
walls ; and the chambers are Kght, airy, and cheer- 
ful. In short, everything here realized my highest 
ideal of Oriental luxury and lavish magnificence; 
and it must have been a beautiful sight, when the 
dark-eyed nymphs of that imperial household were 
sporting in innocent mirth among these fountain- 
jets and marble tanks, and on checkered floors. 



254 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

with mosaic flowers on all sides, making these white 
domes echo with their merry laughter. 

The MoTEE MusjiD, or Pearl Mosque, stands 
to the right of the Royal Baths. It served as a 
private mosque for the Mogul Emperors, and is of 
the same style as the one at Agra, only not so large. 
Other places of interest are found within the Fort 
enclosure, but some of the buildings have been re- 
moved to make room for the barracks of the British 
troops. 

Down the river, some distance off, I saw a large 
ancient tomb, whose lofty dome and dark minarets 
made it look impressive and solemn. On inquiry I 
learned that the government had transformed it 
into a bakery for their troops, so that the former 
sepulchre for the dead is now made to yield the 
" staff of life " for the living. 

In the good old times the Great Moguls com- 
bined their citadels of military power, their palaces 
of courtly magnificence, and their mosques for 
religious worship, within the same enclosure ; but 
now, that their dynasty has fallen to rise no more, 
the practical Anglo-Saxon locates his barracks at 
the very portals of the marble halls and Mogul 
mosques, and even takes a kingly tomb in which to 
bake bis bread. 









«^ AC « « 






<>«.<.•• 



DELHI. 257 

In the central part of the city, and outside the 
Fort, is the Jumma Musjid, one of the greatest 
Mohammedan mosques ever built. Its quadrangle 
enclosure, three hundred gmd twenty-five feet square, 
is elevated twenty feet above the open park sur- 
rounding it, and is approached by three pyramidal 
flights of stairs, surmounted by as many massive 
gateways, the main arches of which are forty feet 
high. These arches are of the usual Saracenic 
shape, but recede inwards by a gradual curve, until 
they finally form the doorway. 

Beyond this gate is a vast paved court, in the 
centre of which is a small tank, where the Moham- 
medans wash their hands and feet before worship- 
ping; and at the farther end of the court is a 
raised pulpit for calling the " faithful " to prayers. 

The main body of the mosque is built of the 
usual red sandstone, and stands at the fourth side 
of the square ; its front is interspersed with designs 
of marble, and its arches, alcoves, and splendid sur- 
roundings are upon such a colossal scale that it 
requires some study to take in the full effect. The 
building is crowned by a huge dome of marble, two 
smaller domes of similar oriental shape being on 
the sides ; the whole is flanked by two tall minarets, 
and surrounded by graceful white cupolas. 



258 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

In a small chamber of peculiar shape, gorgeous- 
ly ornamented and standing in one of the alcoves 
to the right of the mosque, are several relics esteem- 
ed very sacred by the faithful, and which were ex- 
hibited to me for a few cash. 

The first of these was the merest shell of an old 
shoe or slipper, said to have been worn by Moham- 
med ; it certainly seemed old enough to have been 
his, and worn out enough to have been cast aside 
long before it was. This dilapidated relic was 
softly encased in an elaborately carved sandal-wood 
box. A single hair, "plucked from Mohammed's 
beard," was also sacredly preserved ; and a piece of 
black marble "with the imprint of the prophet's 
foot." The size of this footprint, though sufficient- 
ly large for ordinary purposes, did not agree with 
the other one once shown me by a Mohammedan 
guide, in the Mosque of Omar at Jerusalem. Here, 
tradition says, Mohammed ascended to heaven, 
leaving the last imprint of his foot upon the great 
rock which still stands, or is miraculously suspended 
in the air, as the faithful claim, on Mount Moriah. 

Were any question to arise respecting the 
genuineness of the two footprints, I suppose that it 
would be explained by the fact that the last-named 
and largest was made in the prophet's old age. 



DELHI. 259 

Some very ancient books written on parchment 
were also exhibited to me ; the finest of these was 
a copy of the Koran, written in the " illuminated " 
style, and said to be seven hundred years old. 
These articles were most carefully wrapped in silk, 
and kept in a heavy iron box with locks and bolts. 

By ascending one of the tall minarets of the 
Jumma Musjid, a splendid view was obtained of 
modem Delhi, and the sites of all the ancient 
Delhis of olden times. The ruins of the latter were 
located to the southward, and covered the plain for 
an immense distance. The two most prominent 
objects looming up amid the desolation of broken 
walls, demolished palaces, mosques, and monuments, 
were Humayoon's Tomb, three miles beyond the 
Delhi Gate, and the lofty Kootub Minar, eleven 
miles distant, and said to be the highest isolated 
column in the world. 

On the opposite side of the city is the well-bat- 
tered Cashmere Gate, where the heaviest fighting 
was done in capturing Delhi, during the last mutiny. 
Beyond it, and without the walls, is a graceful 
monument standing on a ridge, where a few hun- 
dred British troops threw up intrenchments, and 
successfully withstood the onset of thousands of 
Sepoys, until they were reinforced. The Sepoys, 

■oBt>KoBff, fte» 28 



*ri 

**.' 



260 F/^OJf HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

to the number of sixty thousand, held possession of 
the city ; but the British gradually laid siege, and 
finally assaulted the Cashmere Gate. 

To blow up this gate was a perilous undertaking, 
and volunteers were called for from the ranks, to 
attempt it. A dozen men came forward, and were 
detailed to place bags of powder against the gate ; 
this they accomplished succiessfuUy, for the very 
daring of the exploit bewildered the Sepoys, who 
supposed that they might be deserters and refrained 
from firing upon them. When they darted back 
again however, the Sepoys saw their design. Now 
came the moment of danger, when the powder-mine 
should be fired. "A sergeant advanced quickly, but 
fell mortally wounded ; a second sprang to the 
post, but was shot dead ; the third succeeded, but 
fell wounded ; the fourth rushed forward, and see- 
ing the train lighted sprang into the liioat. The 
bullets whizzed over him, and the next instant a 
tremendous explosion threw the heavy wall into 
the air." 

The siege of Delhi abounds in incidents of 
bravery such as the foregoing ; but little mercy was 
shown to the vanquished . Sepoys, after they had. 
succumbed. . On the site of the " Dak Bungalow," 
where I put up the first day or two in Delhi, once 



f 



DELHI. 2(n 

Stood the magazine which, just before the siege, was 
in danger of falling into the hands of the mutineers. 
To prevent their gaining possession of the vast 
supplies of munitions of war stored here, a young 
English officer, Lieut. Willoughby, deliberately 
entered the magazine, and when the enemy had 
fairly captured it, he applied the torch and blew 
himself and them into the air. 

After visiting the Cashmere Gate with its can- 
non-battered walls, I passed a small English church 
standing near by. On the spire of this church, 
during the siege, was a gilded copper ball sur- 
mounted by a cross. This emblem of the Christian 
religion was an object of hatred alike to the Hindoos 
and the Mohammedans ; and they vied with each 
other in their e£forts to bring it to the ground. 
Scores of shots were fired at it, and the ball was 
riddled with bullets ; but the cross still stood, until 
the city was subdued. Then it was carefully taken 
down by the English, and placed in the museum of 
the Delhi Institute. 

My first excursion to the south of the city was 
to Humayoon's tomb. Were there no " Taj " in 
India, this tomb would be considered the master- 
piece of beauty and design, as it certainly is of size 
and proportion. It surpasses the Taj in mere 






262 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA VAS, 

dimensions, and is somewhat similar to it in shape 
and in general effect. But the pure white marble 
is wanting, except in parts ; for it is built of red 
sandstone trimmed with marble ; and although the 
great dome is entirely of the latter material, it is 
dusty and dingy with age. The structure is the 
first example extant of this style of tomb. 

It stands upon an immense raised platform of 
stone slabs two hundred and eighty feet square, and 
its base is forty feet above the lower foundations, 
Rising from this broad terrace, its massive propor- 
tions present a magnificent appearance. The main 
body is square, truncated at the corners, and faced 
by tall arches similar to those of the Taj. Within 
the building are various chambers and many marble 
tombs with corresponding vaults and tombs beneath 
the floor ; and directly beneath the dome is an 
immense sarcophagus, elaborately ornamented, 
which I took to be the tomb of Humayoon himself. 
This inner chamber is eighty feet high, and has 
eight approaches filled in with marble screen-work, 
cut out of the solid stone as gracefully as though 
the material were simply cardboard. This screen- 
work imparts an air of lightness to the structure. 
It was broken in places, and the marble fragments 
strewed the floor. 



" *. - '* r 



DELHI. 263 

Crawling through these breaches in the screen- 
work, through which the sons of the late king of 
Delhi were dragged forth to their execution, I ex- 
plored several octagonal chambers, where there 
were half a dozen or more sarcophagi of the wife 
and children of the Emperor Humayoon. 

An immense garden once beautified the sur- 
roundings of the tomb, and its walks and avenues 
still exist. The whole is approached by a colossal 
gateway of the usual Saracenic style. Waste and 
desolation are now spread around, and wild beasts 
haunt the locality. It seemed a pity that such 
splendid buildings should lie unoccupied and use- 
less, while hundreds of people in the modern city 
scarcely had shelter to cover their heads. It was 
with some feeling of satisfaction, therefore, that I 
found, a little farther on, a whole colony of poor 
outcast people who had taken possession of the 
ruins by the roadside and fitted them up in their 
own simple fashion. The contrast between their 
poverty and squalor, and the ruined magnificence 
of the palaces and tombs they occupied, was stri- 
king in the extreme. 

In this neighborhood I visited a collection of 
small mosques and marble enclosures of the most 
elaborate description. The first of these was the 



264 FROM HOXG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS, 

sixty-four-pillared hall of white marble, with several 
small domes, under each of which stands a sar- 
cophagus, ornamented with carvings and mosaics. 
A mosque with a splendid white dome is situated 
a little beyond this, and on threading my way tow- 
ards it over piles of debris and massive ruins, I 
found it surrounded by a cemetery of tombs, mostly 
of kings or royal relatives. All were built in the 
same lavish style before mentioned, surrounded by 
marble screens and filagree work, and covered fre- 
quently with marble canopies of the richest style 
of ornamentation. The most prominent among 
the larger shrines, is that of Nizam-ood-deen, the 
founder of some religious sect ; his tomb is covered 
with a heavy red cloth, and is enclosed in a cham- 
ber surrounded with white pillars. Mohammedans 
were worshipping there with great reverence, though 
it is something of a pilgrimage for them to reach the 
spot. Opposite this tomb is a more modest and 
tasteful enclosure, containing the grave of the pious 
Jehanara Begum, on whose marble sarcophagus 
(open at the top and with grass growing upon it) is 
the following Persian inscription : " No rich canopy 
should cover my grave ; grass is the fittest cover- 
ing for ' the poor in spirit.* The humble and trans- 
itory Jehanara, the follower of the holy men of 



DELHL 265 

Chist, daughter of Shah-Jehan the Emperor." We 
picked a blade of grass from her grave, and thought 
her words more touching and lasting than all the 
splendid mausoleums about her. 

The story of her life is very simple and affect- 
ing. When her brother Arungzebe usurped the 
throne, and imprisoned his father Shah-Jehan in 
the fort at Agra, she remained faithful to her father, 
and solaced his imprisonment. She was famous 
for her wit and beauty, but sorrow brought out the 
nobler traits of her character. She became very 
religious, and gave up her life to deeds of charity. 
At her death she was not buried at the Taj, 
where her father's remains were placed, but at her 
own request she was buried in the simple way de- 
scribed in the inscription which now marks her 
tomb. 

While wandering among these marble monu- 
ments of the past, T came suddenly upon a deep 
tank, almost like a well, enclosed on three sides by 
perpendicular walls, and having steep steps leading 
down the other. The depth of. the tank is eighty 
feet, and it is said to contain forty feet of water, 
which is greenish on the surface and quite cold, 
^s I was peering cautiously into the well, watching 
some men on the steps far below, my guide came 



266 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA FAS. 

up to me and threw off the sheet-like covering which 
the natives wear in this country ; he was a middle- 
aged man, genteel in appearance, and looked to be 
of far too sober stuff to do anything so rash as what 
I began to suspect. 

Without saying a word, he ran to the other side 
of the well and scrambled to the top of a small 
mosque which was built on its precipitous edge; 
there he stood for a moment, like a dark and solemn 
statue on the tip or knob of the dome, and the very 
thought of what he was about to do made me stand 
mute and motionless. Tucking the remaining slip 
of cloth tightly about his loins, he deliberately ran 
down the slope of the dome, and sprang into the air. 

His flight seemed some seconds, and he kept 
perfectly rigid, with feet drawn close up behind, 
and the knees apart like the letter V. If he should 
strike the water in that position it would kill him ; 
but just within fifteen or twenty feet of the surface 
he suddenly straightened, and like an arrow he 
shot into the depths of the well, with a peculiar 
deadening sound, but little splash. Scarcely had 
the rings of foam settled, ere his head popped to 
the surface again, and ascending the steep steps he 
donned his white sheet, and showed me around as 
usual. 



THE KOOTU 



V C • V 



• 



• C 






w ^ u w 






DELHI, 269 

An evening or two succeeding this, I drove out 
to the Kootub Minar, eleven miles from Delhi, and 
the following morning I ascended the 375 stone 
steps which took me to the top of the tower. Here 
I saw the sun rise, and obtained an extensive view 
of the surrounding country, and especially of the 
grand old ruins which lie scattered about the base 
of the tower. The accompanying illustration of 
the Kootub Minar shows its height relative to the 
ruins about it. The column is a circular fluted 
one of red sandstone, with concentric rings of white 
marble, upon which texts from the Koran are carved 
in Arabic. 

It is divided into five stories, each of which has 
a projecting gallery and balustrade, ornamented 
with elaborate carvings and cornices. The heights 
of the successive stories are graduated in exact 
proportion to the contracting diameter of the col- 
umn, the height of the lower story being ninety-four 
feet, and that of the upper only twenty-two feet. 

A solid "Iron Pillar," very ancient and very 
smooth, stands upright in the centre of an enclo- 
sure that once pertained to an old mosque. It is 
seen to the left in the picture. The pillar is as 
thick as a man's body, is twenty-two feet high, and 
has various Sanscrit inscriptions upon it, one of 

Kon-j-Konj, etc 2Q 



' - . 



270 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS, 

which says it is the "arm of fame." Around it are 
the remains of arches, gateways, mosques, and por- 
tions of buildings in various degrees of preservation ; 
in fact, the whole vicinity is filled with ruins of 
a most interesting nature, which would well repay 
the study of the antiquarian. The Kootub, how- 
ever, is the central object of interest, and rises like 
a mighty sentinel from the plain overlooking all 
these relics of the past It is seven or ei^ht hun- 
dred years old, yet still stands firm on its mighty 
base, 159 feet in circumference; and though sev- 
eral times struck by lightning it is in good re- 
pair, and is now protected by a broad copper 
lightning-rod which will prevent further mischief. 
Its height, not including the cupola (which has 
been removed), is 240 feet, and it is built in perfect 
proportion, tapering upwards from the base with 
great symmetry and beauty. 

Ere leaving this locality I witnessed some more 
well-jumping; three men leaped a distance of 
eighty feet, into the narrow but deep tank below, 
with as little hesitation as a person would dive off 
a ship's side. 

Returning to the city from the Kootub Minar, 
the heat was so excessive that I very nearly had a 
similar experience to that which occurred when I 






1^ c 






^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 






e 






■^ .. 



DELHI, 273 

left Benares. However, by rapid driving I finally 
reached the hotel in s^ety, where as usual I re- 
mained a prisoner during the hottest part of the 
day. I spent the time in walking about the house, 
all the rooms of which I had to myself, except that 
the proprietor and a few turbaned attendants came 
in occasionally. I bathed a dozen times a day, stud- 
ied guide-books, wrote long epistles, and listened to 
the versatile conversation and chatter of two par- 
rots who were almost my only companions. These 
birds were the most wonderful creatures, and their 
extraordinary abilities in imitating the tones and 
expressions of the human voice surpassed anything 
of which I had ever heard. They looked more like 
black crows, than like the brilliant-colored parrots 
brought to our own clime. I am told they cannot 
be exported, for they die if taken to colder coun- 
tries. These two creatures occupied separate cages 
in a room adjoining my own, and when left to them- 
selves they would cry piteously like children, and 
at first I thought that I was located next door to a 
nursery of crying babies. Then they would scold 
furiously at each other, using such epithets and 
calling such bad names that I thought total deprav- 
ity had developed very early and to an extraordi- 
nary degree in the " nursery." If I went in to ex- 



274 FROM IIOXG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

postulate with the birds about making such a noise, 
they would laugh and whistle at me for my pains. 

In the evenings I strolled out to the beautiful 
gardens of the Delhi Institute, and went through 
the large museum, or watched the tigers, leopards, 
and other animals in the Menagerie. I also stud- 
ied the interesting phases of the swarming street- 
life, where camels, elephants, monkeys, and gayly- 
costumed Hindoos of all castes, mingled together 
in endless confusion. 

It soon became apparent, however, after three 
weeks' exposure to heat, that my nervous system 
could not withstand the thermal strain much lon- 
ger, and I was forced to consider how best I might 
escape to the mountains, whither most of the other 
foreigners had gone before me. The Monsoons 
and rains would not set in until the 20th of June, 
when the technical hot season of India would be 
over, and a small deluge would succeed it. Mean- 
while, to remain upon the plains would be unsafe,- 
for the temperature became so intolerable that I 
could neither eat in the daytime nor sleep at night 
Not being accustomed to such a climate, my condi- 
tion became far from comfortable ; but how to reach 
" the hills," as the summer sanitariums of Mussoorie 
and Simla are called, without undue exposure in the 



DELHI, 275 

daytime, became a serious question. While pon- 
dering the subject somewhat soberly, I picked up 
the Bible and opened casually to the 121st Psalm, 
and read, " I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, 
from whence cometh my help. My help cometh 

from the Lord,, which made heaven and earth 

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade 
upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee 
by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall 
preserve thee from all evil." 

These words of Scripture came to me with pe- 
culiar force under the circumstances, and I immedi- 
ately decided to start for the " hills," or lower range 
of the Himalayas. 

Accordingly I left Delhi on the afternoon of 
June 2 for Gazeeabad, where I took the " Scinde, 
Punjab, and Delhi Railway " for Saharunpore, arri- 
ving there at 1 1 o'clock p. m. On the way our train 
passed Meerut, where the mutiny first broke out. 
Lines of native cavalry were here seen drilling. 
Before reaching this point it wa$ " rather warm " 
in the train, and the gentle breeze which came in 
at the car-window was like the blast of a small re- 
verberatory furnace. 

At the station above Meerut we passed the 
down-train, and I was informed that one passenger 




276 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

upon it had "kicked over** at the station beyond, 
" What is that ?" I innocently asked. " Found dead 
from heat-apoplexy," was the cool and heartless 
reply. 

At Saharunpore I found an omnibus waiting, 
and as usual I had the whole vehicle to myself ; the 
extra space was improved by lying down and taking 
a much-needed sleep. The omnibus had no seats, 
but was a covered "stage" in the literal sense of the 
word, with mattresses upon the floor. For one per- 
son it was very comfortable, but for many it would 
prove rather crowded. 

Leaving the station about midnight, we soon 
began a gradual ascent and passed through some 
very fine scenery, which, however, I did not see — 
being asleep ! I was awakened every six miles or 
so, for they made a great noise in changing the 
horses ; besides, one of the drivers blew an im- 
mense brass horn repeatedly, to the consternation 
both of his solitary passenger and of the people of 
the villages through which we passed. 

As morning came on I could see that we were 
steadily rising far above the heated and hazy plains, 
and the country assumed a fresher appearance ; the 
foliage was greener, and the air was more invigora- 
ting. Many beautiful residences were scattered 



DELHL 277 

along the roadside, and the scenery became more 
home -like. For forty-five miles we passed along a 
sloping table-land, with occasional steep ascents ; 
but the omnibus made good time, for we had four 
horses, and these were frequently changed for fresh 
relays. Judging by the number of changes, there 
were two dozen horses and eight white bullocks re- 
quired to pull our vehicle fifty miles, and all this 
for eleven rupees ! 

Arriving at Rajpoor, at the foot of the moun- 
tains proper, I rested for one day and night at the 
Dak-Bungalow. Here I was not disturbed, except 
once at night, when a wild jackal crept slyly in at 
my window, and mounting the table, began quietly 
to devour the supper which I had left there. Wa- 
king up suddenly, I saw the strange black object 
upon the table, and aiming my slipper at the ani- 
mal's head, I sent it with such effect that the un- 
welcome intruder jumped out of the window and 
disappeared in the woods. 



278 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON. 

Dehra-Doon is a beautiful valley, sixty miles 
long, situated at the base of the Himalayas, and 
separated from the hot plains of the south by a 
range of hills called the Shivalick, or "Abode of 
Shiva." 

At the ends it opens out in an easterly and 
westerly direction, allowing the Ganges to flow 
from one side, and the Jumna from the other, the 
two rivers having their respective sources not far 
distant from each other. Both have tributaries 
which rise in the vicinity of the town of Dehra, and 
flow down the gentle water-shed towards the ends 
of the valley. Deep gorges and thickly-wooded 
glens form a wild and picturesque background to 
the north, and these, with the broken patches of 
jungle and rocky depressions scattered through the 
valley, make most appropriate retreats for the tiger, 
leopard, wolf, and other wild beasts, which abun- 
dantly infest the locality. Even droves of wild ele- 
phants may occasionally be seen taking their stately 



THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON. 279 

march across the more level districts, and helping 
themselves freely to the foliage of trees, waving 
fields of grain, or whatever else may happen in their 
way. 

So many stories are rife of various encounters 
with wild beasts in the vicinity, that it made one 
long to see a veritable tiger-hunt ; but as I was only 
to remain at Dehra a day or so, I contented myself 
with an elephant-ride through the fields and jungles 
of the neighborhood, two immense beasts being lent 

me for the purpose by Dr. M , the civil surgeon 

of the neighborhood. 

Dr. M is known as one of the most intrepid 

tiger-hunters of India, and his tastefully-arranged 
Bungalow bore evidence of his many exploits in this 
direction. Every room was ornamented with beau- 
tiful rugs made from the skins of tigers, leopards, 
wildcats, wolves, spotted deer, mountain-goats, and 
other animals, which had succumbed to his uner- 
ring rifle. One tiger-skin, which I admired greatly 
for its beauty and softness, was eleven feet long, 
and a leopard-skin was nearly as large ; the sharp 
claws still fastened to these were formidable-looking 
weapons. My host also exhibited the thick, bony 
skull of a tiger, with which he had a desperate en- 
counter some time since. He was mounted on his 

Honic-Koo2, etc. 3^ 



28o FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA VAS. 

elephant, as is usual in this hazardous sport, when 
he came suddenly upon a large tiger which had 
crouched for a spring. The doctor was forced to 
fire so quickly that he only wounded the beast, who 
in another instant buried his claws and teeth in the 
head of the frightened elephant. The latter rushed 
about frantically, trumpeting loudly, and trying to 

butt the ferocious creature against a tree. Dr. M- 

meanwhile loading his rifle as briskly as possible, 
while the tiger glared at him from the front of the 
elephant's head. Suddenly the elephant stumbled, 
and fell into a great hole or elephant-trap which 
happened to be close by, and all three went down 
into the hole together. Although the tiger appear- 
ed to get a little the worst of the tumble, he made 

one more plunge forward and struck Dr. M on 

the knee with his claw. But the rifle was now re- 
loaded, and reaching around with his left arm, the 
doctor placed the muzzle in the tiger's mouth and 
fired. This ended the fray, and the victor now ex- 
hibits with just pride the ferocious-looking skull 
just mentioned as a memento of the little affair. 

Before my leaving the doctor, he promised to 
send two elephants in the afternoon, so as to afford 
me the novelty of a ride. At the appointed time 
the huge beasts made their appearance, one of them 



9 



THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON. 281 

being the largest creature I had ever seen. To 
make friends with the monsters, I took a plateful 
of bread and cake out on the balcony, and it was 
surprising to see how readily the great creatures 
would follow me about to secure a piece of bread 
or cake. Swinging their trunks in every direction, 
they would catch up the smallest particle offered to 
them and toss it dexterously into their mouths. 
Sometimes they would open their mouths at full 
width, allowing me to come close up and put any- 
thing upon their great tongues, but I usually jump- 
ed aside when the huge cavern closed again. 

On going up stairs to prepare for my ride, I 
found a lunch-package which I had left there neat- 
ly done up in a New York *' Observer." This I 
held over the railing of the high balcony, when the 
largest elephant, directed by the driver, raised his 
trunk in the air, and scenting the good things in the 
savory parcel, seized it, paper and all, and tossed it 
into his mouth. After swallowing it he coughed 
and sneezed, and did not appear to appreciate the 
literary part of the joke, though I do n't think that 
his digestion was impaired even by the "secular 
and religious " ingredients of the " Observer," 

Finally, at a motion from their keepers, the two 
beasts knelt upon the ground, curling up their 



{ • * 



282 FJ^OM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YA€, 

trunks between their fore-legs. There was a group 
of some sixty Hindoo girls standing by, who were 
connected with the Dehra Mission ; their shining 
black faces and bright eyes, in contrast with their 
white robes, added a picturesque efEect to the scene. 
They were greatly delighted in seeing one or two 
of their teachers mount the smaller elephant, while 
I mounted alone the back of the larger one. 

When the huge beasts -rose to their feet, the 
motion was like the pitching of a ship at sea, and it 
was with no small difficulty we held on to our re- 
spective positions. They moved off noiselessly, 
with a ponderous, scuffling kind of tread, jolting us 
considerably till we became accustomed to it, and 
with a rolling motion not unlikely to produce sea- 
sickness in those sentitive to that malady. The 
novelty of the situation made amends for this, how- 
ever, and the experience was on the whole enjoya- 
ble ; the height at which we were perched gave us 
a full view of the surroundings, and everything we 
met appeared diminutive contrasted with our- 
selves. 

The dephants are so well trained that their 
movements can easily be directed by their keepers ; 
and sometimes they are used in hauling logs and 
lumber. Their strength is so great, that two ele- 



*- i- w 






*' w 






e* 



THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON. 285 

phants, with the aid of their trunks, tusks, and 
chains about their bodies, can readily carry o£f a 
large log, like that shown in the picture. They can 
even pile logs with such care and precision, that 
one would think the huge creatures possessed of 
human judgment and intelligence. 

On the neck of each of our beasts sat a native 
Hindoo, armed with a most cruel iron instrument, 
which he used to guide the movements of the ani- 
mal :. this iron was heavy, but short, and shaped like 
the head of a harpoon, only its hook and point were 
dull. When we wished to quicken the pace of the 
elephant to a trot, this horrible iron was driven 
against the flap of his ear, or if he committed any 
offence with his trunk, the instrument was brought 
down with full force on the top of his head. When 
we desired to stop, or turn to the right or left, the 
hook was brought into requisition, and the flap of 
his ear was dug at most unmercifully. Yet so thick 
was the hide of the great creature, that he seemed 
to mind these assaults no more than a flea-bite; 
and indeed, if he only took the notion, he could 
have whisked us off his back with one fling of his 
trunk as easily as if we had been flies. 

Passing through the beautiful town of Dehra, 
with its succession of picturesque gardens, we wan- 



286 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

dered off the main road and entered the wild and 
uncultivated region of the jungles. No wild beasts 
met us on our little trip, except a solitary jackal, 
who dodged among the bushes as we approached ; 
and we were unmolested, save by a few dogs that 
barked furiously at our heels. It was curious to 
see how carefully the elephants would pick their 
way over narrow and stony paths, or through the 
thick undergrowth of bushes, especially when they 
came to some hole or steep declivity. In the latter 
case it was sometimes very difficult to keep our 
seats, though the huge beasts always trod firmly 
and surely. 

As they walked along they gathered bunches of 
grass, leaves, and small branches, and threw them 
skilfully into their mouths. Their trunks were 
swinging incessantly, and once in a while they 
would spurt water over their hides to cool them- 
selves or drive off the flies. 

After riding a couple of hours through the more 
open portions of the valley, we turned into the main 
road again, just as the sun was setting, and march- 
ed toward the town. At this point I changed my 
elephant, and rode on the smaller one, the motion 
of which was easier than that of the huge beast on 
which I had been mounted alone. We passed a 



"»*r 



THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON. 287 

regiment of native troops drilling, and entered one 
or ttvo villages, the children of which made a great 
commotion as we strode by. Whenever we met 
horses upon the road they became unmanageable 
with fright, and at one time we were innocently the 
means of capsizing a whole carriage full of people 
into a ditch. We crossed a field where mounted 
horsemen were playing " polo " with great spirit — 2l 
game which is very popular with the English in the 
East, and possesses almost the excitement of a tour- 
nament. 

The largest elephant became very thirsty, but 
as he was quite warm and we would not allow him 
to stop and drink, he made a peculiar plaintive 
utterance, which seemed to be understood by the 
other elephant ; the latter came deliberately up and 
placed his trunk in the open mouth of the thirsty 
one, and gave him to drink from his own stomach, 
or some unseen reservoir with which, like a camel, 
he appeared to be provided. This was a touch of 
generosity which, in its way, I had rarely seen 
equalled. 

Wild elephants are not unfrequently seen near 
Dehra, but they are usually peaceable and harm- 
less, unless unduly provoked. A " rogue" elephant, 
however, is a most destructive individual. He is an 



288 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

elephant that has once been tamed, but afterwards 
returned to his wild state. The civilizing process 
docs not seem to have agreed with him, for it only 
proves to have intensified and embittered his other- 
wise docile disposition. He will now boldly attack 
a person, trampling him under foot or tossing him 
into the air, as though his former experience with 
mankind had only kindled his hatred. 

The woods at the foot of the hills here are full 
of wild elephants, and a native Rajah, who came to 
the valley on a grand hunt not long since, secured 
two dozen. The capture is usually made by means 
of tame elephants trained for the purpose. The 
forest is enclosed, and then by beating the woods 
the herd is driven slowly into a corner. Here the 
tame elephants go in among them, and engage their 
attention by caressing them in a quiet way, until 
the. coolies slip in under the huge beasts and tie 
their feet with strong ropes to the trees. They are 
then left till subdued by hunger, when they can 
easily be tamed for the service of man. 

Although the vale of Dehra-Doon is beautiful, 
and the tiger and elephant stories which were re- 
counted to me in this locality were thrilling, yet the 
most interesting object of study while I was there 
was the Dehra Mission-school, under the superin- 



e c 






C „ • ^ 



^ 



« 4. O 

^ >- ^ >» ^ 






THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON, 291 

tendence of Rev. Mr. Herron and several American 
missionary ladies. 

It is located at the foot of the mountains, in the 
healthiest and most picturesque portion of the val- 
ley, and its members and pupils thereby enjoy a 
much finer climate than they would upon the plains. 
The girls gathered here are from Hindoo and 
Mohammedan families ; some are orphans, and all 
appear bright and intelligent. They have their 
regular hours of study, and the whole institution is 
under the same discipline as any seminary or well- 
regulated boarding-school at home. Religious and 
secular instruction are both given, and the girls are 
taught needlework and practical household duties. 
The singing attainments of some of the older schol- 
ars struck me as remarkable ; and as Mr. Herron 
kindly invited me to the hospitalities of the " Home " 
for two or three days, I had. abundant opportunity 
for enjoying the musical exercises of the classes. 

One Sabbath afternoon I talked to the girls at 
Mr. Herron's request, telling them about the Jap- 
anese girls at the American Mission Home in 
Yokohama. As the Hindoo pupils sat before me, 
dressed in loose white wrappers, with their jet black 
faces and bright eyes turned towards me in eager 
attention, I could not but contrast their appearance 

Hong'Kong, «tc. X I 



292 FKOM HO.XG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

with that of the Japanese pupils whose traits and 
attainments I was describing. The Hindoo girls 
are round-faced and of strong physique ; they show 
many of the charaeteristics of the Caucasian race, 
notwithstanding the blackness of their features. 
The Japanese, on the contrary, have oval-shaped 
faces, and are more delicately constituted ; their 
complexion is almost white, but their features ap- 
proach much nearer, the Mongolian. The Hindoo 
girls wear the simplest white garments, and their 
hair is plainly dressed ; whereas the Japanese girls 
of the same social rank? wear the most brilliant 
colors, beautiful silk sashes, and plait their hair in 
the most fantastic forms. The latter wear no jew- 
elry, however; but the Hindoo girls fairly jingle 
with jewelry of gold arid silver, bracelets and ban- 
gles, finger-rings and ear-rings. Sometimes, among 
the higher classes, a child wears so much jewelry 
that she has to be watched and guarded, lest any 
one should run off with her. The small fortune of 
a family will frequently be lavished upon a daugh- 
ter in this way, to secure social respect and render 
her marriageable qualifications more favorable. 

The Hindoo girls listened with evident interest 
to all that I told them respecting their Japanese 
cousins ; and when I spoke of the religious progress 



N 



THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON, 293 

of the pupils in the Mission Home at Yokohama, 
and mentioned the beautiful hymns which they 
sang for me in Japanese and in English previous 
to my leaving the country, the dusky faces of the 
Indian maidens brightened, and they nodded to 
each other as though they would like to try the 
same hymns. . 

At a signal from their teacher they all arose and 
sang the very hymns that I had mentioned, first in 
English and then in Hindostanee,' which latter is 
a very musical language. As I witnessed the spirit 
with which these familiar songs were sung, and saw 
by the Christian sunshine in these dusky faces that 
they were really understood, I thought, that if our 
Christian missionaries were to do nothing more 
than this — to set the gospel to music and thus send 
it to pagan hearts and homes — they would not have 
labored in vain The heathen may just as well be 
taught the way of salvation through' songs of praise 
as through forms of prayer ; the one, if heartily en- 
tered into, will eventually lead to the other. Among 
the missionary stations in the East it is sometimes 
found that less preaching and more singing accom- 
plishes the best results. Not that preaching is to 
be undervalued, for it is the appointed Scriptural 
means by which the gospel is to be proclaimed ; 



294 FROM HONGKONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

nevertheless, pagan people (and some who are not 
pagan) are more apt at first to listen to the gospel 
in song than they are to the gospel in the sermon/ 
Christian hymns sometimes prove a great power 
for good in places where Christian preaching never- 
goes. 

I was particularly struck with this fact in jour- 
neying around the world, when, on ship and shore 
and in distant climes, I heard the familiar " Moody 
and Sankey" hymns sung with spirit, in places 
where one would least expect to hear revival mu- 
sic, and by persons whose exterior surroundings 
were the roughest, but whose hearts had evidently 
been reached by the sweet influence of song. 

I thanked the Hindoo girls for singing their 
beautiful hymns, and they saluted Mr. Herron and 
myself respectfully as we retired. I then inspected 
the various parts of the institution with Mr. Her- 
ron, including the building recently erected to the 
rear of the one shown in the picture. 

Here were long dormitories, a gymnasium, hos- 
pital ward, and a large dining-room with tables 
neatly spread for the evening meal. The building 
most prominent in the picture is used for study- 
rooms, library, and rooms for the teachers and su- 
perintendent. Two broad balconies with small pil- 



THE VALLEY ^ OF DEHRA-DOON. 295 

lars and arches give a pleasing effect to the front 
of the house, and afford the inmates an airy place 
for promenade in warm weather. Pleasant grounds 
surround the institution, giving the children ample 
opportunity for exercise and play. A few individ- 
ual members of the school ar$ supported by friends 
at home, or by " mission bands " who select some 
scholar and then assume the responsibility of her 
education. Many members of the school are the 
children of converted Hindoos and Mohammedans ; 
others are orphans who have been picked up home- 
less and friendless. 

There is another similar institution some dis- 
-tance up the mountain side, called the "Wood- 
stock" school, which is also owned by the Presby- 
terian mission, and which educates the "East- 
Indian" girls and young ladies (of Eurasian parent- 
age), and the daughters of English residents. The 
institution is located far up on the " hills," so as to 
serve as a sanitarium in summer, as well as a semi- 
nary. I took tea there one evening with Mr. Her- 
ron, and with the thirty-three young ladies who 
were then studying at the school. Miss Scott, the 
manager, was very polite and dignified ; and the 
young ladies, many of whom were quite pretty, 
were evidently pleased and amused in the unex- 



•^ 



296 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA i'AS. 
pected advent of two gentlemen in their midst. I 

• » • * # • 

afterwards visited a boys school at Dehra with Mr. 
Herron, and then went to see an ancient Hindoo 
temple ; also inspected the tea district of Dehra, 
where the plant is. successfully cultivated. 

The subject of tea-culture was of particular in- 
terest to me, for the export of tea from India has 
within recent years assumed considerable commer- 
cial .importance. The country, before long, bids 
fair to rival even China and Japan in supplying the 
European market with this product. The cultiva- 
tion of the plant, and the subsequent picking and 
preparation of the leaf, are similar to the processes 
employed in Japan. The tea has a delicate flavor, 
combining the freshness and lightness of the Ja- 
panese tea with the "body" of the. Chinese. 

Returning home late one evening with Mr. 
Herron, we discovered a large dark object coming 
towards us down the road. The patches of moon- 
light falling through the trees were sufficient to 
show that the huge beast (for this it proved to be), 
was approaching very rapidly. We turned aside to 
watch the creature, whose motions were so silent 
and rapid that we never suspected it to be an ele- 
phant until it was close upon us. 

As the huge beast strode by, Mr. Herron no- 



«. d ^ 






<■ « 



THE VAILEV OF DEHRA'DOON, 299 

ticed a native driver, armed with the usual iron 
spike, seated upon the animal's neck. At my re- 
quest Mr. Herron called out to him in Hindostanee 
to please wait a little and give us a ride. The man 
complied at once by pressing his iron into the ele- 
phant's neck, which caused him to kneel by the 
roadside. But how to get on his back was now the 
question, for we had no ladder or any other means 
of mounting. My friend was equal to the emer- 
gency, though. Bracing his feet upon the hind- 
feet of the kneeling elephant, he grasped the 
animal's taily and bid me climb this "natural 
bridge " as best I could ! When fairly astride the 
Darwinian appendage, the driver reached over his 
hand, took me by the collar, and pulled me up the 
steep incline. On gaining the elephant's back I 
reached over and assisted Mr. Herron up the same 
way. Then the huge beast rose to his feet with a 
swaying motion like that of a heavy ground-swell, 
nearly upsetting us from our lofty perch. All that 
we had to cling to, as the elephant strode off with 
us, was a long rope fastened about the animal's 
body, for there was no soft-seated howdah, with 
elegant trappings, such as are usually placed on the 
elephant's back. However, this made the experi- 
ence all the more "lively," especially when the 



/ 
300 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

beast began to run, which he did at a very rapid 
rate as the driver sent his horrid iron spike into the 
flap of his ear. It required some skill and strength 
to keep our seats, and before long we concluded 
that we had obtained enough glory for one day ; so 
thanking the driver and dropping a rupee into his 
hand, we descended from the forward end of the 
elephant, the latter assisting us gracefully with his 
trunk and tusks. 

Before leaving Dehra I visited an old mosque 
with Mr. Herron, where we had a conversation with 
a venerable-looking Mohammedan, who had but 
recently returned from a long pilgrimage to Mecca, 
This man was very polite, and took special pride in 
explaining various devices and inscriptions to us ; 
nor was he at all backward in arguing respecting 
the claims and teachings of Mohammedanism. 

He listened respectfully to what we said about 
our own religion, and acknowledged that Christian- 
ity is undoubtedly the best system for usy and un- 
doubtedly adapted to the genius and wants of the 
European and Occidental mind. When reminded 
that Christianity was essentially Oriental in its ori- 
gin, he acknowledged that of course all great reli- 
gions were originally Asiatic; but that, jusfas 
Christianity claims to be in advance of Judaism, so 



THE VALLEY OF DEHRA-DOON, 301 

Mohammedanism, which came later than either, is 
superior to both. As Christ is a great prophet, far 
in advance of the prophets of the Old Testament 
dispensation, so is the prophet Mohammed (who 
arose six centuries after the Christian era) in ad- 
vance of all other prophets, and his revelation in 
the Koran is final and complete. As the Moham- 
medan system is the latest, so is it the best, and 
numerically the most successful. If it conquers by 
the sword, it at least brings counterbalancing bless- 
ings, both moral and material. It destroys heathen 
temples when it has the opportunity, but it builds 
splendid mosques, and makes the people acknowl- 
edge one God and Mohammed his prophet. When 
true to its spirit and the teachings of its great 
prophet, it proceeds against idolatry with a high 
hand, even as the children of Israel proceeded 
against the idolatrous inhabitants of the land of 
Canaan. 

Our venerable friend pointed with much pride 
to the former achievements of Mohammedanism in 
India, to its wonderful spread and influence through- 
out Asia, even to the confines of China, and to the 
multitudes of pilgrims who yearly cross the sandy 
wastes of Arabia to ofEer their prayers at Moham- 
med's shrine at Mecca. He said that personally he 

Uuiig Kong, etc 2 2 



302 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

counted it the great privilege of his life to have 
made the pilgrimage to Mecca ; and though it had 
involved great hardship, privations, and even dan- 
ger, especially as he had walked most of the way, 
and had traversed hundreds of miles of desert, still 
he felt repaid in the satisfaction it gave him to have 
visited the sepulchre of the great prophet. 

He appeared most sincere and earnest in his 
belief, and as we turned away, thanking him for his 
courtesy to us, we wondered at the strange infatu- 
ation of a system which, though it proselytes .by 
the sword and through fanatical zeal, yet still, after 
the lapse of centuries, exerts its sway over nearly 
two hundred millions of the human race. 



AMONG THE HIM ALA YAS. 30 



■> 



CHAPTER XI. 

THREE WEEKS AMONG THE HIMALAYAS. 

MussooRiE is literally " a city set upon a hill," 
situated on a spur of the lower Himalaya range, 
directly north of the valley of Dehra-Doon. 

It is the sanitarium and mountain-resort of the 
foreign residents of India, who wish to escape the 
excessive heat of the plains during the hot season. 
It occupies the sides and crest of a ridge two or 
three miles in extent, and is composed of chateaus, 
villas, bungalows, and European residences. 

Many of these houses are so elegant and com- 
fortable, that the traveller would scarcely suppose 
the materials of which they are built, and all the 
articles with which they are furnished, to have 
been carried up the hills to the height of seven or 
eight thousand feet, on the shoulders of native 
coolies. Yet such is the fact ; and all the provis- 
ions and supplies of this lofty sanitarium have to 
be carried up in like manner from the valley below. 
The residents are usually borne to and fro, also on 
on the shoulders of men, in peculiar contrivances 
called y^;/-/^;/, palky^ and dandy. 




304 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

When I made the ascent to Mussoorie, soon 
after reaching the valley of Dehra, I preferred a 
sure-footed horse to the formidable-lookingy^w^^;/ 
which was brought to me ; and thus mounted, I 
started up the steep and winding road, accompanied 
by two coolies carrying my baggage. For some 
distance we passed through the woods, and thick 
jungles shut us in on either side; but as we rose 
higher and higher, climbing steep ledges of rock, 
and skirting precipices where a slip would have 
proved fatal, we had views of surpassing loveliness 
spread before us, and the beautiful vale of Dehra 
appeared to lie at our very feet. 

I had been so long confined to the flat and 
heated plains of India, that the sudden transition 
to the mountain scenery and cool atmosphere sur- 
rounding me was peculiarly exhilarating. It made 
me feel as free as a bird, to be thus rising above 
the dust, heat, and discomforts of the plains. 

The mountain range is broken into spurs and 
ridges, jutting out at irregular intervals into the 
valley. The ascent is not gradual and easy, as it 
is in crossing the Rocky mountains, but steep and 
difficult, the road twisting and turning every few 
yards. Rocky beds of mountain streams are seen 
in the deep ravines below; but in the rainy season 



AMONG THE HIMALA VAS. 305 

these peaceful rivulets become terrific torrents, 
sweeping everything before them in their wild 
descent. 

To the southward, bordering the valley of Deh- 
ra-Doon, is the Shivalick Range, of interest in a 
geological point of view, for here fossils have been 
found, and the remains of animals belonging to 
the earlier geological epochs. The range has also 
considerable religious interest, as it is the birth- 
place of the Brahminical religion, and here shrines 
to Shiva were erected and worship was conducted 
centuries before the Christian era. Here, too, the 
Goorkahs, one of the most warlike of the hill-tribes^ 
made their last stand against the English; they 
were subdued, and are now among the most loyal 
subjects of the British crown. 

As an evidence of the desperate fighting qual- 
ities of the Goorkahs, and the difficulty the English 
had in subduing them, I insert this account of the 
capture of their "fort," the ruins of which are still 
seen in the valley, 

" The garrison consisted of about three hundred 
men, while the besiegers amounted to nearly three 
thousand, commanded by brave and experienced 
officers. After a desperate struggle, and with an 
immense loss on the part of the besiegers, the fort 



3o6 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

was abandoned by the survivors among the be- 
sieged, amounting to seventy men out of three 
hundred, who, fighting their way through different 
passes, eventually effected their escape with the 
loss of very few lives. Before daylight the officer 
who succeeded General Gillespie in command, en- 
tered the fort. Here, indeed, was frightfully exhib- 
ited the desperate resistance which had been made 
by a few determined and but half-civilized soldiers 
against an immensely disproportioned force, highly 
disciplined, and under the ablest officers. What 
the besieged had done and suffered was incredible ; 
they had displayed the highest endurance and most 
indomitable courage. The ears of the victors were 
shocked by the dismal groans of the dying, and 
their hearts saddened at the sight of mangled 
limbs torn from their parent trunks by the burst- 
ing of the shells, and of bodies lying disfigured 
and putrid on the very spot where they had fallen 
by the shot, which was scattered like hail over 
their weak defences, causing a most frightful car- 
nage." 

As we rose higher, the scene became more 
beautiful and more extensive ; we could look di- 
rectly over the top of the Shivalick range, though 
it was twenty miles distant, and see the plains 



AMONG THE HIMALA VAS, 307 

Stretching away to the south as far as eye could 
reach. 

Arriving at last at the town of Mussoorie, we 
stopped to make inquiries at the postoffice, and 
then continued a mile or two farther along the 
sides and summit of the ridge to Landour, where 
some friends whom I had met at Calcutta were 
already located. There is no space on the ridge 
for any regular street, but the road turns and 
twists along the mountain-side, and among the 
comfortable-looking residences as the configuration 
of the ground will admit. Pleasant groups of peo- 
ple were met with occasionally, and English ladies 
rode past mounted on horseback, and dressed in 
fashionable riding-habits. Even carriages now and 
then drove past. 

It was like receiving a new lease of life and 
hope, to get up into this fresh, cool air and mag- 
nificent mountain scenery, and the sight was 
unique and unprecedented in my experience, to 
see beautiful residences with all the conveniences 
and luxury of a city, perched upon a lofty mountain- 
range, amid the wildest scenery of nature. 

Reaching Landour, which is simply a continua- 
tion of the town of Mussoorie, I spent the after- 
noon and evening with my friends, and the next 



3o8 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

morning climbed the mountain side several hun- 
dred feet higher to Laltiba, the "tip-top" peak, 
where I found a large, one-storied bungalow, which 
was to be my home for three weeks to come. 

This house belongs to the American Presby- 
terian Mission, it having been purchased as a sani- 
tarium with money given by Mr. George H. Stuart 
of Philadelphia, whose name is a household word 
among the missionary families of India, and whose 
kindly deeds of charity have endeared him to hun- 
dreds of hearts in that far-o£E land. The bungalow 
happened to be unoccupied when I arrived at 
Mussoorie, as it was a little early in the season ; 
many of the missionaries moreover have houses of 
their own farther down the mountain, and Laltiba 
is so lofty a perch that it seems like taking up 
one's abode in an eagle's nest to live there. Later 
in the summer, the bungalow would be rented to 
some English residents, whose aspirations and 
climbing capabilities were ahead of those of the 
average missionary. For the present, my friend 
Rev. Mr. Calderwood, whose residence was near 
the bungalow, and who had it in charge, said that 
I might as well make myself at home there, and 
keep house for a few weeks, and that he would fur- 
nish me a ^good kkansamer, or Hindoo steward, to 



AMONG THE HIM ALA YAS, 309 

provide for all my wants, and to be at once my 
cook, table-servant, housekeeper, and general atten- 
dant. 

I was quite delighted with this arrangement, 
and with the prospect of rest amid these romantic 
surroundings ; for though I had once kept house in 
a heathen temple — which seemed strange enough 
at the time — I had never yet attempted house- 
keeping above the clouds, where the every-day out- 
look from my balcony was that of scenery eight 
thousand feet below me, and the morning view 
from my window to the northward took in the 
giant ranges of the Himalayas, whose icy cliffs girt 
the whole horizon. 

Gathering the scattered furniture of the whole 
house into one or two rooms, I soon made myself 
very comfortable ; and when my Hindoo khansamer 
became fairly initiated into the manifold duties of 
his new position, my hous,ekeeping went on very 
smoothly. Now and then, when explanations or 
minute directions were to be given, the necessity 
of language as a medium of thought, became appa- 
rent; for my khansamer' s vocabulary was limited 
to nearly three words of English, and my knowl- 
edge of Hindostanee was about one third as much. 
We never entered into unnecessary discussions 



Hon s-Kons, «te. ^ ^ 



310 FROM HOXG'KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

» 

however, and as I had perfect confidence in my 
white-turbaned and soft-footed friend, who moved 
about the house as noiselessly as a kitten and 
bowed meekly at every word I uttered, whether he 
understood it or not, I usually nodded assent to 
his suggestions though I rarely comprehended what 
they were about. In purchasing provisions I usu- 
ally allowed him to act out his own intuitions, and 
when he brought me his daily account made out 
with the nicest degree of accuracy, even to the 
last fraction of a penny, I would examine the wri- 
ting critically — frequently upside down — and with 
due dignity pronounce it correct. 

Of course my foreign visitors occasionally hinted 
cautiously that this heathen Hindoo would cheat 
me; if he did, I wish that I might be subject to a 
little more such cheating by the proprietors of 
hotels in civilized lands, for a more economical 
experience I never had than when subjected to 
the monetary mercies of this polite pagan. 

The first few days, as well as nights, in my new , 
quarters, I occupied in sleeping. An extract from 
my diary, if I ever kept one, would have run some- 
what like that which Mark Twain says he once 
kept, and which sums up a week's history with the 
words, " Got up, washed, went to bed." Whether 



AMONG THE HIMALAYAS, 311 

I performed as many ablutions as he did, I do n't 
remember ; but besides eating three times a day, 
my duties were limited to at least twenty hours of 
sleep. 

After a day or two of these somniferous pro- 
ceedings, I began to indulge fears lest I should 
become a second " Rip Van Winkle " of the moun- 
tains, and sleep so long that nobody would know 
me when I fairly waked up. On consulting friends 
farther down the hill however, I was assured I'lat the 
symptoms were not at all alarming, and that sleep 
and sleepiness constituted a sure sign that the 
mountain air was doing the new-comer good. My 
weeks of exposure to the excessive heat of the 
plains, and the loss of sleep entailed thereby, were 
sufficient reasons why nature demanded that I 
should sleep until the balance was made up. Af- 
ter restitution had been made, I would find the 
mountain air exhilarating and strengthening; and 
so it proved. A very peaceful week I had indeed, 
on that lonely mountain-top ; and if any one wishes 
a practical receipt for perfect repose, let him go to 
some similar height, and sleep on a bed of fresh 
straw, having no companion near save a soft-footed 
Hindoo, who speaks but three words of English, 
and converses rarely at that. 



3 1 2 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YA S, 

But peace and serenity were not always to be 
my portion on the mountains. Terrific thunder- 
storms raged there at times, and shook the very 
foundations of the hills. I would sometimes awaken 
at night, with the whole heavens ablaze around me. 
The thunder would roar, not above, but below me. 
and its reverberations would come rolling up the 
hills, like salvos of celestial artillery. The whole 
var.ey appeared filled with a fiery sea, as the heavy 
clouds swept along the base of the mountains, and 
were illuminated with the vivid flashes of light- 
ning. 

Sometimes the storm would sweep up the 
mountain-side, and make the peak of Laltiba, and 
my lofty habitation, the centre of its celestial can- 
nonade. This usually occurred at night, and then 
the effect was indescribably grand ; and I might as^ 
well add, indescribably frightful also. The wind 
would fairly shriek through the ravines and the 
tree-tops, the rain poured everywhere, up as well 
as down, and the thick fog, for such the cloud ap- 
peared, was incandescent with continuous electrical 
discharges, while the house and its occupant 
trembled, under the unsolicited honors and salutes 
thus conferred by a genuine Himalayan thunder- 
storm. 



T.v^ 



' AMONG THE HIMALAYAS, 313 

One afternoon I went down the mountain some 
distance after some wild monkeys which a friend 
told me were constantly stealing his cherries in 
spring. The natives say it is sacrilegious to shoot 
monkeys, for they are considered sacred, and " the 
gods will catch" those who injure them. Never- 
theless, I frightened the monkeys considerably, 
'without hurting them very much ; but as I climbed 
the mountain again, I was overtaken by a thunder- 
storm, and it seemed as though I would indeed 
suffer severely. With such a good lightning-rod 
as a double-barrelled gun on my shoulder, I did not 
feel very comfortable in scrambling up into the 
cloud region, to reach my tip-top bungalow. How- 
ever, I ran the gauntlet of thunderbolts safely, and 
after reaching home changed my dripping clothes, 
and resolved not to shoot at any more monkeys. 

None of these storms reach the parched and 
burning plains of India; they are all confined to 
the mountainous region, and though the sky above 
Laltiba was clear and blue, and fleecy white clouds 
drifted to and fro, the atmosphere of the plains 
remained ever the same, hot arid hazy, and the 
smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a 
furnace. 

With such a contrast before the eye continually, 



3»4 FROM ITONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

as that afforded by the fresh and ever-changing 
mountain scenery on the one hand, and the heated 
and uninviting plains on the other, it was no priva- 
tion to realize that I would be forced to remain 
here, a willing prisoner, until the monsoons broke, 
and the rains came up country and set me free. 

My surroundings at Laltiba may be best described 
by quoting from a letter which I wrote on the spot, 
and which I sent from there to a friend in Japan, 
the editor of the "Far East." In fact, whatever 
notes of travel I have given on India were nearly 
all " written up " on this tip-top peak. The letter 
is dated, 

" Laltiba, Mussoorie, June 19. 

" For more than two weeks I have been perched 
on this glorious peak of Laltiba, with the town of 
Mussoorie and its suburb Landour scattered over 
the mountain slopes and ridges just beneath ; and 
' from this, the highest point of observation, I have 
had spread constantly before me one of the grand- 
est views the country affords. Now and then the 
hot haze and dust of the plains obscure the vision, 
even though there is bright blue sky overhead ; but 
the thunder-storms come, confined entirely to the 
hill-regions, and clear the atmosphere with heavy 
showers and still heavier electrical discharges, so 



AMONG THE HIMALA VAS. 315 

that a clean sweep is obtained of the superb pano- 
rama set before me. 

" To the left, like a glistening strip along the 
horizon, are the sacred waters of the Ganges, which, 
with tributaries nearer at hand, flow sluggishly 
forth from deep and dark valleys extending a hun- 
dred miles back into the mountains, and find their 
source in the melting glaciers which slope from the 
regions of eternal snow. Still more visible, to the 
right, and stretching far off to the west and south, 
is the sandy bed of the Jumna, which emerges also 
from the deep defiles and ice-girt slopes of the 
mountains. Between the two great rivers, which 
grow greater as they flow onward, is a broad and 
slightly undulating plain or table-land covered with 
dark forests of timber here and there, bright green 
patches of vegetation and cultivated fields, native 
villages gray and dusty, dotted along near the 
woods and streamlets, and presenting a most pic- 
turesque appearance contrasted with the hot and 
parched plains of the lower country. 

" About twenty-five miles to the south, is a chain 
of hills called the Shivalicks, bounding the outer 
edge of this Vale of Dehra and beyond which ex- 
tends the limitless expanse of the plains proper. 
When this chain of hills is passed, there is little 



3i6 FROM HONG'KOXG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

but an immense prairie-like flat for the thousand 
miles separating Saharunpore and Delhi from Cal- 
cutta. 

" Rajpoor and Dehra are large villages at the 
base of the mountain range on which I am located. 
As I look down upon them from my lofty height, a 
succession of precipitous verdure-covered cliffs in- 
tervenes, and deep gorges, diversified with all the 
lights and shades which green tints and solemn 
depths can impart. In all my mountain experi- 
ences, I have never seen such an endless variety — in 
the beauty and steepness and angular contortions — 
as that which makes up the indescribable charm of 
these ravines, or ' cuds ' as they are here called. 

"Notwithstanding the wildness and steepness 
of these wooded slopes, they are so girt about with 
well-made paths, that one may wander among them 
in any direction ; every knoll and ridge and ter- 
raced retreat is either crowned with some stately 
mansion, or else its garden-like slope has a cottage 
nestled among the trees. The sight is unique and 
novel, as I look down from the veranda of my own 
residence, which is higher than the rest, and see 
the descending series of beautiful villas and scat- 
tered country-seats of the wealthy, skirting every 
hillside and slope for more than three miles around. 



a 









• h 



• « 









<■ • • c 



.,' 



AMONG THE HIMALAYAS. 319 

Directly below me, about five hundred feet, is the 
beautifully located Woodstock school for young 
ladies. It occupies a paved terrace. 

" On the opposite and northern side, from the 
Laltiba peak, are still deeper gorges, wilder ravines, 
and higher chains of mountains, wooded along their 
precipitous sides, and abounding in game and wild 
beasts ; for here the tiger makes his home, and the 
leopards and wild-cats lie in wait for prey. In the 
winter these fierce neighbors come up from the 
jungles and wooded ravines, and stalk about the 
houses and paths of the hill-slope ; and even at this 
season their mournful cries may sometimes be 
heard in the distance. 

"But the matchless vision before me, and the 
one compared with which all else is insignificant, is 
the magnificent panorama of the Himalaya peaks, 
known as the Snowy Range, which stretches in 
boundless extent behind me to the north, as far as 
the eye can reach. The range appears from this 
point to run in an easterly and westerly direction, 
extending in almost an unbroken line for several 
hundred miles. That portion of it is seen, which 
from its great elevation, rises above the intervening 
mountains. For the first week after coming here, 
I was unable to obtain a glimpse of this rare and 

H(<n;-EoD?, etc "5 A 



X ' 



320 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

interesting sight ; but as if to specially favor me 
the mists and clouds vanished this morning, while 
I sat writing here at the window, and I am this 
moment enjoying one of the grandest views to be 
seen on earth. 

"Look at the succession of snow-clad peaks 
yonder ! Each of them stands twenty-two thousand 
feet above the level of the sea, and each looks as 
though it were fit to throne its Creator, so pure and 
white and holy does it appear, rising to the borders 
of the celestial land. 

"The horizon, high up, and far away, is girt 
about with these mighty walls of snow. I am on 
the cloud-level myself, and still these peaks and 
giant ranges, all white as alabaster, and clothed in 
sunlight, rise far above and beyond me, with a 
majesty and beauty inconceivable. Some are like 
silent sentinels guarding the blue vault of heaven ; 
others are rough crater-like crests, with scarred 
and serrated declivities ; and all are connected 
with an endless chain of snowy cliffs and slopes, 
and lie radiant and still in the unbroken solitude of 
the sky. 

" I have seen the Bernese Oberland view of the 
Alps, with all its glorious array of peaks, from the 
dome of Mont Blanc to the cliffs of the fair Jung- 






AMONG THE HIM ALA YAS. 321 

frau ; and I have dwelt under the shadow of Fusi- 
yama's cone, in Japan ; but all these must be put 
together, to equal the colossal magnificence of these 
imperial Himalayan peaks. 

" Nor could they do it even then, at least in 
point of size. For starting seventy miles over 
there, with twenty-two thousand feet, the range 
continues to the south and east in a gradually 
ascending scale, till it culminates in the top of 
Mount Everest, twenty-nine thousand feet and 
more ; the monarch of the mountain world !" 

It is difficult to convey a correct idea of the 

loftiness of the Himalayas, either by pictures or by 

' description, because of three circumstances to be 

duly considered, but which do not in all cases apply 

to mountain scenery. 

The first of these is, that the standpoint of the 
observer is not upon the dead-level of the plain, 
but high up — eight thousand feet or more — on the 
secondary slope of the mighty chain of mountains, 
as though one must needs climb the outer wall to 
[ gain a glimpse of the citadel within. This eleva- 
tion, which is equal to the height of Mount Wash- 
ington, must be subtracted from what the effect of 
the view would be were it obtained from a lower 
standpoint. 



\ 



322 FROM HOXG'KQNG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

Another important consideration is, that even 
when the observer has reached the summit of the 
secondary range, and views the magnificent pano- 
rama spread before him, as presented in the accom- 
panying pictures taken from Laltiba, " the snows " 
are still so far away, and the intervening space is 
so filled with mountainous ridges, rounded, twisted, 
and broken up into an infinite series of confused 
boulders, that the mind is not as much impressed 
and overawed as when the person stands directly in 
the presence of the object of his admiration. 

The Snowy Range can hardly fail to kindle 
enthusiasm from whatever point it is viewed; but 
an outlook of seventy mileSy like that at Laltiba, 
only awakens a keener interest and a more intense 
desire to obtain a closer interview. It is impossi- 
ble at such a distance for the eye to appreciate the 
fact that some of the peaks skirting the horizon are 
nearly two miles higher than Mont Blanc in Eu- 
rope ; and that, were the base of this latter moun- 
tain to be placed at the snow-line of one of the 
loftiest of these Himalayan crests, its summit would 
scarcely reach the top. 

The third consideration, which naturally lessens 
the impressions of the actual height of the moun- 
tains viewed by the spectator, is the fact that he 



THE ABODE OF SNOW. 






* 



e 



^ f V 



4.T 



• t 



6 c 



«» *. 



* 



-zy 



AMONG THE HIMALA VAS. 325 

ftnds himself surrounded by luxuriant vegetation, 
even at an elevation which in a cooler climate would 
afford nothing but barrenness and desolatfon. In 
a tropical country like India, the snow-line is very 
much higher than it is in Switzerland, for example. 
Among the Alps the traveller meets the line of 
perpetual snow at an elevation short of nine thou- 
sand feet ; but here, in the Himalayas, it is eigh- 
teen thousand feet, or twice as high. Vegetation 
is found in abundance on the snowy range at alti- 
tudes varying from ten to fourteen thousand feet ; 
and dwarf birches and bushes are met with almost 
as high as the snow-line. Some of the /masses of 
this range are considerably more elevated than the 
summit of Mont Blanc. 

The English resident coming to Mussoorie from 
the parched and heated province of Bengal is pleased 
iii recognizing at this elevation the trees, plants, 
and shrubs of his native isle. Here he finds the 
oak, the pine, the holly, the walnut and cherry, and 
the daisies, primroses, and violets, all of which have 
been strangers to his eye since leaving home. The' 
deep valleys, or " cuds " are fringed with tall and 
straight poplars, pines, and firs, giving a peculiar 
wildness and depth to the ravines. In the bottom 
of these yawning chasms are gushing streamlets. 



326 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

hidden from the eye, and making the ravines re- 
sound with the voice of many waters, as they rush 
turbulently over the rocks below. 

Contrasted with the scenery of the Alps, the 
Himalayas do not impress one at first in a degree 
proportionate to their greater size and altitude. 
There are few places where the traveller can stand 
face to face with the full outline of one of these 
giant peaks, as he can with the magnificent slope 
of Mont Blanc from the Vale of Chamonix, or still 
better, with the spotless vision of the Jungfrau from 
the Wengern Alp, where the mountain is seen 
directly across an intervening ravine, with a full 
mile of snow upon its precipitous side, the dazzling 
whiteness of which is almost insupportable to the 
eye, and ever and anon huge masses of snow are 
seen detaching themselves from the shelving rocks 
and falling thousands of feet into the valley below, 
sending up reverberations like distant thunder. 

But whether among the Alps or the Himalayas, 
these beautiful lines of Lord Byron's, in "Childe 
Harold," were ever recurring to my mind and echo- 
ing my thought : 

" The palaces of nature, whose vast walls 
Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, 
And throned eternity in icy halls 
Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls 



AMONG THE HIM ALA YAS. 327 

The avalanche — the thunderbolt of snow ! 

All that expands the spirit, yet appals, 

Gathers around these summits, as to show 

How earth may pierce to heaven, yet leave vain man below." 

. Much of the charm of Swiss scenery comes 
from the human element interblended with the 
grandeurs of nature, as the tourist looks down from 
snow-covered heights into valleys smiling in culti- 
vation, dotted with villages, and having cottages 
and church spires everywhere visible. The beauti- 
ful Swiss lakes also add greatly to the effect, as 
they mirror the white summits of the distant moun- 
tains in their deep bine waters. 

Among the Himalayas, on the contrary, we 
found no lakes and few evidences of human habita- 
tion. But there is instead an indescribable gran- 
deur in the wildness and solitude of the untrodden 
wastes of these regions of everlasting snow. Some 
of the mountain passes have been scaled here to 
the enormous height of twenty thousand feet ; but 
the daring adventurers who made the ascent have 
found inaccessible peaks towering above them, 
whose summits it is not possible for any human 
explorer to reach. There are hundreds of miles 
of this icy territory in the upper air uttet 
proachablefrom any direction, and theawfu 



^ — — — 1* 



328 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA FAS, 

and solitude of these trackless wastes of snow will 
ever remain unbroken. Portions of the Himalayas 
may be explored by the more venturesome travel- 
ler, but the larger part must ever remain as impreg- 
nable as the northern confines of the Arctic sea. 

When we glance at the enormous extent of this 
chain of mountains we can readily imagine how 
difficult of access its inner portions must be. 

The range of the Himalayas stretches from the 
river Indus on the northwest to the river Brahma- 
pootra on the southeast, dividing the plains of Hin- 
dostan from the wilds of Thibet and Tartary. West 
of the Indus there is a continuation of the same 
range, but it runs in a more westerly direction, and 
is known among the Afghans as the " Hindoo 
Koosh." 

The Arabs call this region "the roof of the 
world," and the less poetical Anglo-Saxon desig- 
nates the range as the "backbone of the Asiatic 
continent." The average height of the mountains 
is much greater than that of either the Alps or the 
Andes ; and accurate measurements of the loftier 
peaks are made with great difficulty, owing to the 
inaccessible character of the highest portions of 
the range. 

At Darjeeling, a hill station directly north of 



AMONG THE HIM ALA YAS. 329 

Calcutta,, but difficult to reach, a magnificent view 
of Mount Everest is obtained, rising twenty-nine 
~ thousand feet above the sea-level, and claimed to 
be the loftiest mountain on the globe. But the fact 
is that several of these peaks — Everest, Kanchin- 
jinga, and Dhawalagiri — are so nearly alike in 
point of altitude, that it is next to impossible to 
decide to which belongs the honor of being the 
highest mountain in the world. Their heights are 
variously estimated as ranging from twenty-eight 
thousand to thirty thousand feet, or more \\\'xafive 
miles high ; but the elevation is so great, and the 
distance at which they must necessarily be meas- 
ured is so great also, that it has not yet been very 
definitely determined which has the advantage of a 
few hundred feet. There are more than twenty 
peaks of the Himalayas outrivalling Chimborazo, 
the highest peak of the Andes ; and as Mount 
Everest is more easily pronounced than any of its 
polysyllabic companions, we may well agree with 
Colonel Waugh in dignifying it as the monarch of 
mountains. 

It is not strange that the Him 
associated these lofty peaks wi 
mythology, and have pointed to t 
ing-place of the gods. Two of th 



■n 



330 FROM HONGKONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS, 

peaks are dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, and oth- 
ers to inferior deities. 

But their most sacred associations are those 
clustering around the sources of the Ganges and 
the Jumna. These rivers are formed far up in the 
mountains by the melting of ice and snow, and 
rushing forth from the foot of the glaciers that 
give them birth, they dash turbulently over the 
boulders of rock and through the deep defiles, 
emerging at length as if glad to escape from the 
control of the mountains, and glide snakelike along 
the plains, until they unite their sacred waters at 
Allahabad. 

The tract of country lying between the rivers, 
which is several hundred miles in extent, is termed 
the Doab^ or Two Waters, and is one of the most 
fertile districts in India. 

The Ganges, worshipped by the Hindoos as the 
"Mother of all living," takes its rise among the 
loftiest of the snowy peaks, and after winding for 
one hundred and fifty miles through a stupendous 
labyrinth of mountains, it enters the plains at 
Hurdwar, a small village wherq pilgrims congregate 
at certain seasons to bathe in its waters. From a 
raging torrent, it here changes to a clear broad 
stream, flowing tranquilly onward for one thousand 



SOURCE OF THE RIVER JUM-NA, 






e, 



c • 



e I. 

O • 



.«<- 












AMONG THE HIMALAYAS, 333 

two hundred miles to the ocean ; fertilizing vast 
tracts of territory, watering the most populous 
cities, and fostering the means of wealth and com- 
merce in the finest provinces in India. 

The Jumna is next in importance to the Ganges, 
and its source is nearly as sacred. The upper 
channel is explored through narrow and dangerous 
defiles, where the Brahmins lead the way as guides. 
The course pf the river is sometimes a mere chasm 
cut away in the solid rock, as the action of the 
waters have worn a passage. Cascades are formed 
by the river rushing over the rocks ; and the 
traveller must frequently wade through the cold 
waters, and cross frail bridges constructed of a 
single pine-tree squared off on its upper side. At 
other times the bridges are made of smaller trees 
united by twigs, on which flat stones are laid, the 
ends being confined by piles of heavy stones. " By 
such frail platforms the most frightful chasms 
are crossed, with foaming torrents below; while 
the tilting of the stones, and the falling of the 
pebbles, together with the dinning noise and savage 
wildness of all around, render the situation of the 
traveller at times truly appalling." 

Small shrines are met with even in this out-of- 
the-way region, and here the Brahmin guide tinkles 






334 /V?(9J/ HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YA^. 

a little bell, presents an offering of flowers, and 
says a long prayer. 

While living at Laltiba, I occasionally indulged 
in long walks along the crests of neighboring 
mountain ranges farther to the northward, and was 
frequently repaid by splendid views bursting upon 
me as some new eminence was reached. The view 
of the Snowy Range is particularly grand at sunrise 
and sunset, when the distant panorama of peaks 
lights up with an indescribable glow, ever changing 
in crimson and gold, and presenting every grada- 
tion of color. I have seen a similar effect at sunset 
among the Alps, especially on the long chain of 
peaks called the Bernese Oberland, and on the 
summit of Mont Blanc, within full sight of which 
I onc^ lived a whole year, and learned to love 
mountain scenery so much, that I wonder how half 
the world can afford to be without it. 

A solitary and quiet ramble among these 
Himalayan ranges always possessed an additional 
interest, from the fact that the old residents assured 
me I might anywhere along the mountains or in the 
ravines, stumble unexpectedly upon a full-grown 
tiger or a pair of hungry leopards, searching for 
their morning meal. They might mistake me for 
fVi^ir breakfast were I to happen along at the right 



AMONG THE HIMALAYAS. 33S 

momeiit ; and even while I serenely contemplated 
the beautiful scenes spread before me, these fierce. 
denizens of the hills might be crouching in ambush 
and contemplating me, considering it an auspicious 
thing for their appetites that I should have invaded 
their domain. Sometimes I went armed on these 
excursions, and at other times I carried nothing ; 
whenever I carried the double-barrelled gun, and 
double-shotted at that, the animals prudently kept 
out of the way ! But when I went unarmed I 
usually saw a tiger behind every shaking bush, or 
heard a rogue elephant at every cracking of a dead 
branch in the woods. 

But with or without the gun, there was one 
creature I feared more than any of the wild beasts 
of the forest And that was the cobra de capello, 
the most venomous reptile known, from whose bite 
few have ever recovered. It is asserted that 
thousands of persons annually perish from the bite 
of this serpent, and the government offers a reward 
for every cobra that can be killed. The snake is 
not usually more than two or three fep'' lino- nnr in 
it very dangerous unless provoked or 
But as it has a way of lying curled u 
or in the footpath, or under the grass 
a ravine, the unwary traveller or bar 



336 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

cannot always tell when a cobra is in the path ready- 
to be trodden upon. Frequently, in climbing up the 
steep heights to Laltiba late at night, I scrambled 
through ravines where the starlight was only suffi- 
cient to reveal the path, and uncertain as to what 
moment I might unwittingly put my foot on a 
cobra curled snugly under the leaves. Had I done 
so, there would have been little chance of escape, 
for the action of the venomous serpent is very quick 
and the moment it has struck its victim a deadly 
sleep ensues from which there is no waking. 

Halfway between Mussoorie and Landour there 
is a native bazaar where provisions can be purchased, 
and the Hindoos carry on a thriving business during 
the season of travel. Mussoorie may be termed the 
civil station, while Landour is more strictly a mili- 
tary one. Here the Sanitarium for British troops 
is located, and by a wise provision of the govern- 
ment the sick soldiers and those needing rest or 
change of climate, are sent up here among the hills 
instead of remaining as invalids in the hospitals of 
the lower country. I often heard the drum-beat 
reverberating among the hills, and saw the English 
flag floating from the staff, showing that even here 
on the confines of the Himalayas the British power 
asserted itself as supreme. In fact, Simla some 



AMONG THE HIM A LAVAS. 337 

distance farther west is the seat of government 
during the hot season, the Viceroy and his cabinet 
migrating in a body from Calcutta to the hills — 
just as though our own government were to transfer 
its base of operations during the summer months, 
by having the President and his cabinet remove 
from the District of Columbia to the summit of 
Mount Washington. 

Near Landour there is an English cemetery, 
and the inscriptions, on some of the monuments are 
very touching, as many are buried here who died 
far from home. 

A union church is situated at Landour, where I 
frequently attended service. Farther up the slope 
is an English Episcopal chapel, which my Presby- 
terian friends sometimes objected was " too high 
church." I hinted to them that it could hardly be 
otherwise, considering its elevation of seven thou- 
sand feet. A Roman-catholic convent is located 
near Mussoorie, and its vesper-bells sound sweetly 
and solemnly in this lofty region ; even here the 
power of the Romish church is felt and recog- 
nized. 

While among the mountains it 
ful privilege to attend the funeral of 
missionary at the cemetery near L 



338 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

Seelye, of the Calcutta Mission Home, came to 
the hills in company with four other lady mission- 
aries from the Home, all of whom needed rest and 
relief from the excessive heat. Miss Seelye's 
medical work among the many natives, women and 
children, who came to her for treatment, had nearly 
worn her out, so that she was quite an invalid when 
she left Calcutta for the long journey up country. 

Her disease, which proved to be typhoid fever 
in its most violent form, broke out a few days after 
she arrived at Landour; and though everything 
was done that medical skill and good nursing could 
suggest, and the fresh mountain air made the chances 
of recovery more favorable, she died on the morning 
of June 9, and was buried at an early hour the 
next day. 

It was a sad and solemn scene, as the little 
funeral procession, just as the sun was rising, wound 
its way slowly along the narrow path leading to the 
lonely cemetery bordering the edge of a deep ravine. 
There were scarcely a dozen persons in the little 
company. First in the line was the bier covered 
with black velvet and decked with flowers, carried 
upon the shoulders of four Hindoos. Then came a 
few swinging chairs borne by coolies, in which were 
the four ladies who were Miss Seelye's associates 



AMONG THE HIM ALA VAS. 339 

in Calcutta; and after them followed Rev. Mr. 
Calderwood, two other missionaries, and myself. 

Arriving at the grave, the coffin was lowered 
into the narrow casement of white cement prepared 
for it ; after which a short service was held, and 
the few mourners then turned away. I stood by 
until slabs of :slate were placed over the coffin and 
the grave was filled with earth, and then I turned 
a^ay also, thinking how strange it was that this 
devoted missionary should lie buried seven thousand 
feet above the level of the sea, before her friends at 
home even knew that she had been sick. 

The cemetery faces a broad mountain slope of 
thickly-wooded ravines, and beyond the neighboring 
ridge I saw the pure white peaks of the Snowy 
Range, lighting up one after another with the glow 
of the morning sun ; they appeared to me a fitting 
monument, as they looked down from afar upon the 
silent and lonely grave of this self-sacrificing 
Christian missionary. 



Hons-Kongr, etc. ^O 



340 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 



CHAPTER XII. 

HOMEWARD BOUND. 

My three weeks of pleasant imprisonment above 
the clouds were drawing to a close. From the tip- 
top peak of Laltiba I daily watched the distant 
plains to the southward, in eager anticipation of 
the rains which would bring relief to the country, 
and set me free from my mountain perch. At 
length I learned from a new-comer that the mon- 
soons had broken at Bombay, so that very soon the 
rains would arrive " up country." My Indian friends 
cautioned me against venturing too soon upon the 
overheated plains, before the promised rains be- 
came fully established ; but I was in haste to reach 
Bombay in time to take the first of July steamer 
for Egypt, as I feared to defer the trip up the Red 
Sea any later in the season. So I determined to 
start on my journey at once, trusting to meet the 
rains at Allahabad. 

It was hard to bid farewell to the many kind 
friends I had met on the mountains, and with 
whom I had enjoyed many social chats on secular 
and religious topics ; but this is the chief penalty 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 341 

in journeying from place to place, and country to 
country, that one must break pleasant ties almost 
as soon as they are formed, though he may hope 
to form others again amid scenes beyond. 

I took tea with Rev. Mr. Kellogg and his fam- 
ily at Landour. His wife had recently come from 
Allahabad, where she had been very sick. She 
was cheerful and bright, and we hoped the fresh 
and cool air of the hills would do her good ; but 
she died shortly after my leaving their happy home 
at Landour. 

Bidding good-by to many other missionary 
friends, I descended the mountains to Dehra, and 
Mr. Herron sped me on my journey by placing me 
at night in a "rapid transit" omnibuckus, which 
dashed along at a brisk rate over the Shivalick 
Pass and down through the valley, arriving early 
the next morning at Saharunpore. Here I spent 
the day in visiting the Botanical Garden, and the 
Government stud, where two thousand horses are 
kept. The stables at the latter place are very 
large and well arranged, and 'after inspecting the 
battalions of horses ranged in hundreds of stalls, I 
went to the depot and took the train southward to 
Etawah, some distance beyond Agra. 

The train reached there at ten o*clock the next 



342 FROM HOXG'KOXG TO THE' HIMALAYAS. 

morning, and as my sudden descent from the cool 
air of the hills made the heat of the plains seem 
like a furnace, I decided from prudential reasons 
to stop over at Etawah during the hottest part of 
the day, at the house of Rev. M. UUman, to whom 
Mr. Kellogg had written concerning my coming. 
Mr. Ullman kindly met me at the station, and took 
me to his quiet bungalow, where I spent a delight- 
ful day with my cheerful and genial host Mr. 
Ullman is a German gentleman, of strong Calvin- 
istic type, and decided orthodoxy. But I think I 
never saw the "joy and peace in believing" more 
thoroughly exemplified, than in this lonely but 
happy missionary. He has labored more than 
thirty years in India, most of the time by himself, 
yet his isolated life has not petrified his spiritual- 
ity — as it is often too apt to do — and his faith is 
buoyant, hopeful, and satisfying. 

With the parting benediction of this good mis- 
sionary, I left Etawah in the evening for Allaha- 
bad, arriving there at six the next morning. On 
looking out of the car window at daybreak, I 
noticed that the ground was wet, and shortly after 
I learned from Dr. Brodhead, who met me^at the 
d^pot, that the rains had indeed broken there the 
day before. Thus I really enjoyed the novelty of a 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 343 

ride around Allahabad in the middle of the day, 
when the sun was so clouded that its scorching 
power could no longer be feared. 

The premises of the Presbyterian Mission are 
situated on the banks of the Jumna, near the great 
railroad bridge. Here I met several missionaries, 
and in the evening attended a prayer-meeting at 
the Scotch Kirk, and also dined with Dr. William- 
son, the pastor. The next day I visited various 
missionary buildings, including the Tract House ; 
and took tea in the evening with Rev. Mr. Hol- 
comb and his family. 

At ten p. M., Dr. Brodhead escorted me once 
more to the d^pot, and I started on the express 
train for Bombay, a distance of eight hundred and 
forty-five miles. This was the longest stage of my 
journey, and occupied two nights and a day and 
a half ; but I had a whole car to myself, and made 
it very comfortable, while much of the scenery by 
the way was very interesting and picturesque. 

At Jubbulpoor we changed locomotives, and 
then continued our journey, traversing a wild and 
almost uninhabited district of country until we 
reached the ghauts, or coast range. Here we 
wound among the hills, and crossed rocky valleys, 
passing at one point through more than twenty 



344 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

tunnels hewn in the rock. The descent on the 
western side of the range is very steep, and re- 
minded me in its wildness and grandeur of the 
scenery among the Sierra Nevadas. At one place 
the train stopped and backed down the mountain 
side in a zigzag course. 

We had now reached the region of the rains, 
and every mountain streamlet became a raging 
torrent. The whole country seemed inundated, 
and the roads and fields were filled with water. 
Evidently the old adage was true here, that "it 
never rains but it pours." Dark clouds chased 
each other across the sky, the wind whistled and 
drove the big drops against the car windows, the 
small trenches near the railroad were racing water- 
courses, and at some points the embankments were 
undermined. In fact, had I delayed a few days 
longer, I could not have reached Bombay at all, for 
the tracks were soon after washed away in many 
places. As it was, I enjoyed the rain, every drop 
of it, and watched the storm with eager delight. 

The whole country began to put on a new life, 
and the forests and fields clothed themselves with 
fresher and greener tints; all the luxuriance of 
tropical vegetation began to appear, and the air as 
we approached Bombay was cool and bracing. 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 345 

At the BycuIIa station, Bombay, I took a car- 
riage and soon found myself comfortably quartered 
at the Byculla Hotel, with an enterprising Parsee 
gentleman as my landlord. 

On Sunday I attended the English Episcopal 
church, the service of which can always be enjoyed 
by the traveller in the East; for wherever the 
English power is felt, the English Church is to be 
found — and British power in the Orient is well- 
nigh omnipresent. 

In taking a short stroll* through the native 
quarter, I got lost. As I was entirely unacquaint- 
ted with the locality, and did not know enough 
Hindostanee to inquire my way out of the di- 
lemma, my little walk was thus unwittingly pro- 
longed to five or six miles, and when at last I 
emerged from the wilderness of houses into the 
broad avenue skirting the harbor, where thousands 
of people were promenading, dressed in every vari- 
ety of costume, I realized somewhat the extent of 
Bombay, which, in population, is the second city 
of the British Empire. 

The bay was very beautiful at sunset, and the 
waves broke heavily upon the rocky beach. As I 
turned to take the most direct route to my hotel, 
night came down upon the city, and a lighthouse 



346 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM A LA YAS. . 

on the shore sent its beams flashing far across the 
bay. While returning I witnessed a peculiar reli- 
gious ceremony of the Parsees, who were dressed 
in long black gowns, and high hats that looked like 
black coal-scuttles. The nature of their service I 
could not understand. 

The Parsees differ from the Hindoos in both 
race and religion. They are followers of Zoroaster, 
and are fire-worshippers. They worship the sun 
as the source of life and light, and I saw them on 
the seashore at sunset, with their heads uncovered,, 
and their faces turned reverently towards the great 
luminary. To them the earth, air, and water, are 
all sacred, and for this reason when they dispose of 
their dead they cannot burn the bodies, as the 
Hindoos do, for that would contaminate the flames ; 
nor can they bury in the earth or in the sea, for 
these are also sacred. They therefore expose the 
bodies to be torn to pieces and devoured by carniv- 
orous birds. This is accomplished at the three 
"Towers of Silence," situated at Malabar Hill, in 
the suburbs of Bombay. One of these Towers of 
Silence is shown in the picture. It consists of a 
circular stone tower, entered by a single opening at 
the base, and on the top an iron grating is placed. 
When a Parsee dies, his body is laid upon this 






: • 









>•»* • 






«> V * • • • • 



HOMEWARD BOUND, 349 

grating by the priests, and the vultures which may 
be seen perched by hundreds on the neighboring 
trees, sweep down upon their prey, tearing the 
flesh from the body with their hooked beaks, till 
the bones fall through the grating into a well or 
common receptacle below. 

Notwithstanding this revolting method of dis- 
posing of their dead, the Parsees are the most gen- 
teel and polite people I met in Bombay. They 
form the wealthiest class in the community, and 
many of them are well-to-do merchants, whose 
houses and stores are among the finest in the city. 

As already mentioned, the proprietor of my 
hotel was a Parsee; and certainly a more polite 
and intelligent landlord I never met. The Parsee 
children are particularly beautiful and well-dressed. 
i Some groups that I passed would have attracted 
attention in any city, for their prepossessing ap- 
pearance. 

Bombay sustains the same relation to the west- 
ern coast of India and the Arabian sea that Cal- 
cutta sustains to the eastern coast and the Bay of 
Bengal. Since the opening of the Suez Canal, Bom- 
bay has greatly increased in importance ; and now 
iit rivals Calcutta in its business enterprise, and in 
the magnificence of its public buildings. 






350 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA YAS. 

The government houses, postoffice, arid bank, 
are very fine structures ; and the Esplanade is even 
more beautiful than the Maidan at Calcutta. The 
business part of Bombay, where the English mer- 
chants have their stores and warehouses, is similar 
to certain sections in London. I visited the Tract 
House, where the various religious and missionary 
operations are carried on. Here tracts and reli- 
gious books are printed and sent all over the coun- 
try. The building is spacious and beautiful, and 
serves a most important purpose in evangelistic 
work. I went to the large postoffice to inquire for 
letters, and found one awaiting me from home, and 
one or two from China and Japan. The letters 
were the first that had reached me for several 
months ; and, as I was in continual motion from 
place to place, I could not expect to receive any 
more news from home until I reached Europe. 

I have not space to describe the mixed and 
multitudinous population of Bombay, but it seemed 
to me by far the most, cosmopolitan city of Asia. 
Every race, color, and variety of physiognomy ap- 
peared to be represented there ; and all styles and 
gradations of dress and undress prevailed. The 
people literally swarmed in the native quarter, and 
the common classes either wore little or nothing, 



HOMEWARD BOUND, 351 

or else they bedizened themselves with what was 
not worth wearing, such as rings, bangles and gew- 
gaws generally. The better classes, native mer- 
chants, bazaar keepers and the like, dressed in plain 
white gowns, or loose wrappers, and wore huge 
turbans of various shades. Nearly all the natives 
were jet black, and many of them sit on their heels 
in the most comical fashion. 

Among the greatest novelties to me were the 
street, cars, introduced here through the enterprise 
of an American, and now largely patronized by the 
natives. They are of the same style as the cars used 
in summer time in our cities at home. Jumping 
into one that was somewhat crowded, I seated my- 
self and looking up over the heads of the turbaned 
Hindoos, Mohammedans, and coal-scuttle-capped 
Parsees sitting in front of me, I saw the familiar 
sign, "J. M. Jones, West Troy, N. Y." And here 
I sat, riding in a Troy-manufactured car through 
the streets of Bombay, with all styles and stamps 
of oriental heathenism about me. 

The fruit and flower market of Bombay, situa- 
ted in a spacious and airy structure at one end of 
the Esplanade, is a perfect little fairy land. Here 
the visitor finds every tint to please the eye, and 
every- fruit of tropical climes to tempt the taste. 



352 FROM HOXG'KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

The inner court hais been laid out as a garden, un- 
der the direction oi the English, and ferns, flowers, 
palms, plantains and tropical plants, grow in luxuri- 
ant profusion ; while in the open arcades the na- 
tives expose piles of beautiful flowers and luscious 
fruit for sale— many of which are purchased for 
offerings in the temples — and the whole is more 
like a horticultural hall, than like a place of barter 
and trade. 

On the morning of July first I sailed on the 
steamship Persia for Aden at the foot of the Red 
Sea, a distance of seventeen hundred miles. We 
proceeded slowly down the bay, passing a great 
deal of shipping of every nationality, among which 
I noticed the Europa, a steamer of the Anchor 
Line from Glasgow^ that I had seen some years 
before in New York harbor. 

Upon a small island in the bay, about seven 
miles from the city, is the famous "Cave of Ele- 
phanta," so-called from an enormous statue of an 
elephant once standing upon the island. The cave 
or cavern is cut in the solid rock, and the roof is 
the natural rock supported by stone pillars left 
standing, and carved in architectural forms as seen 
in the illustration. 

This is reached by a long flight of steps leading 



W W V «* 






c w 



<!(,•' 















HOMEWARD BOUND, 355 

up the hillside, and the depth of the main chamber 
is a hundred and thirty feet. The cave is dedi- 
cated to the worship of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, 
the Hindoo trinity ; and the images of these deities 
are carved in the rock, at the end of the great hall. 
Numerous other carvings are also found on the 
rocky walls of all the chambers. There are also 
two similar but smaller caves on the island. For 
centuries, pilgrims have repaired in boats to these 
old caves ; but the dark corridors are more like the 
labyrinths of a tomb, than like the courts of a temple. 
The monsoons that had so recently broken 
upon the coast, and brought relief and rain to the 
parched plains of India, brought head winds also, 
and heavy chop seas, keeping our steamer tempest- 
tossed all the way to Aden. The ports could 
not be open for a week, and though the cabin was 
large and provided with ventilator funnels, the air 
was so oppressive, especially at night, that I pre- 
ferred sleeping on top of a small sail-loft on deck, 
though there was no little danger of being pitched 
overboard from this airy perch. I scarcely occu- 
pied my comfortable and richly-curtained cabin 
once during the voyage, for on the Arabian Sea it 
was too close, and on the Red Sea it was too hot. 
Nor was I able to eat a square meal during the 



356 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

twelve days of this tempestuous trip. A note in 
my journal, or log-book, runs thus : "July second 

to tenth Monsoons blowing heavily .... rough 

sea .... continuous pitching and rolling day and 
night .... heavy seas break over the deck, which 
is continually flooded .... fearfully seasick for sev- 
eral days .... got better towards the ninth .... 
begin to eat .... about a dozen passengers." 

This latter somewhat- astonishing statement, 
that I ate about a dozen passengers, seems about 
as fearful as the freak of a recent " New York 
Herald" correspondent in Egypt, who is reported^ 
to have been so hungry that he ate a dozen deli- 
cious Mamelukes at once ; meaning mandrakes, I 
suppose. 

One night a heavy squall came down upon us 
with great violence, and the roaring of the wind 
was terrific. The waves broke over the bows con- 
tinually, giving severe shocks to the ship, deluging 
the decks and showering the spray far up the rig- 
ging. The sides of our tall smoke-stack were in- 
crusted with salt to the very top, and the phospho- 
rescence of the sea made the ship's wake look like a 
way of fire. The pitching and rolling were so violent 
that* I could not keep on top of the sail-loft, so I 
climbed into a canvas hammock suspended just 



sT» 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 357 

above it, and rocked to and fro between the masts, 
as the ship rose and fell in the trough of the sea. 
The wind shrieked in the rigging above, and dark 
clouds chased each other across the sky. The rain 
fell in sheets, but I drew the canvas sides of the 
hammock closer about me and did not mind it. 

Once in a while the ship surmounted a huge 
-wave and then plunged down into a dark vortex 
sheering over to the leeward and lying almost on 
her beam-ends. Looking over timidly from my 
frail hammock, I could see the angry waves surging 
and boiling just below me, and for the moment I 
remained suspended directly over a yawning chasm, 
knowing that if a rope at either end of my ham- 
mock should break, I would go spinning into the 
turbulent sea. 

Once, near midnight, I thought the ropes were 
slipping, and I attempted to dismount from the 
hammock; but this was no safe undertaking, and 
could only be accomplished at a certain moment 
when the ship had righted and the hammock swung 
over the spar that supported the ship's awning. 
, After many futile efforts I succeeded in getting my 
foot fairly on the spar, and giving a sudden spring I 
landed on the sail-loft, and thence descended' to 
the cabin. 



1 



358 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

Only one steamer was sighted on the voyage ; 
she belonged to the Rubittino Italian line, and was 
two days out from Aden. Soon after we caught 
our first glimpse of the Arabian coast to the north- 
west, and on the evening of the twelfth we sighted 
the lightship, rounded a bleak and rocky point, and 
anchored off Aden. 

As our steamer was to remain here several 
hours, a few of us went ashore and explored the 
town, and then hired two teams of Arabian horses 
and drove rapidly along the shore for a distance of 
four miles, to visit the fort and the Tanks of 
Aden. 

The town is very picturesque even in its bleak- 
ness and desolation ; the rugged and dark boulders 
of rock, forming a broken mountainous chain along 
its coast, are jagged and clearly defined against the 
sky. Not a fragment of vegetation could be seen, 
not a tree or a blade of grass ; everything was 
parched, hot, dry, and sandy, and even the rocks 
seemed as though they were blasted by the heat. 
The portion of the cliff-girt coast that faces the 
harbor proper, and stretches several miles in the 
direction in which we rode, appeared to be the rem- 
nant of three volcanic craters, with sides broken off 
towards the sea, leaving three immense concaves 



HOMEWARD BOUND, 359 

of cliffs, rough and ragged at the edges, and filled 
in with sand and scoriae and the washings of the 
sea. That the whole region is volcanic is very 
evident ; the abundance of lava, ash, and coke-like 
masses, covered with sand and dirt, and the craters 
themselves convinced us that in the old geological 
times, Aden was even hotter than it now is. 

The town of Aden is divided into three sections, 
a mile or so apart; the first is the port, with 
foreign houses, a few shops, and one or two hotels. 
The native town is situated three miles farther 
along the shore; though the houses are small and 
mud-like, there are streets similar to those in the 
Hindoo villages of India. Intervening between 
this part and the port, are clusters of native houses, 
and on a rocky promontory is the British fort, with 
other fortifications. 

In riding towards the native settlement we 
passed long lines of camels going into town laden 
with brushwood, water in skins, and various kinds 
of Arabian merchandise. Where they obtained the 
wdod and water puzzled us, for not a trace of either 
could be seen in any direction. At last we ap- 
proached a deep cleft or gorge in the rocky chain 
of cliffs, where the celebrated Tanks of Aden are 
located. The original tanks are quite ancient, but 

HrtPj; Knn;, etc. ^S 



36o FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS, 

have been greatly improved and remodelled by the 
British, and are provided with stone steps, bridges, 
and iron railings, and present an appearance not 
unlike a succession of irregular dry-docks, placed in 
tiers one above the other. The capacity of each 
tank is marked plainly on its inner side; the 
figures vary from seven hundred thousand to four 
million gallons apiece. Plenty of water surely, 
when it comes, but where was it t Not a drop did 
we see in the tanks, and they were as dry and clean 
as a baker's oven. One of the guards said they 
expected rain the next month ; while another indi- 
vidual stated that he had lived there two years and 
had not seen a respectable shower in all that time. 
Nevertheless, near the tanks we saw three narrow 
but very deep wells, from which water was drawn 
by means of skin buckets : close beside them a 
little garden of trees and shrubbery had been ex- 
temporized, which seemed very refreshing, as it was 
the only green patch in the place. 

On returning to the ship, we found the awnings 
spread and breakfast awaiting us on deck. After 
the table was cleared we amused ourselves with the 
natives who swarmed about us in their little boats. 
Most of them were funny little fellows, black as ink, 
but having hair that appeared like flax or hemp, and 



TANKS AT ADEN, FOOT OF BED SEA, 



o 

c 



4, C- O ^ J « 






Vb^ *■ J » « C>l«.t)>bC 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 363 

sometimes white and soft like wool. The younger 
they were the lighter were their woolly heads, and 
they skimmed about us in little dug-out canoes, 
scarcely longer than their bodies, and propelled by 
a single paddle. They jabbered incessantly to us 
in English, '* Master, throw penny : I dive, I dive ;" 
and if the penny or silver piece were thrown, over 
would go half a dozen youngsters, and the coin was 
sure to be caught by one of them ere it reached the 
bottom. Sometimes they clambered up on to the 
ship, and became so free on the deck, that we 
caught one or two of them and threw them into the 
sea ; they did not seem to mind the ducking very 
much. Old men came on board who looked more 
like pedlers than Arabs, and tried to sell us beau- 
tiful ostrich feathers, such as the ladies like to 
wear, and corals, etc.; they usually asked fifteen 
rupees for an article for which they would finally 
accept two. The cargo taken on board consisted 
mainly of hides, and a large number of bags of 
Mocha coffee, marked " P. & R. : New York." We 
also shipped an extra amount of coal and manufac- 
tured ice. There were only a few other vessels in 
the harbor, among which was the French Mail 
steamer, and an English man-of-war. 

After leaving Aden we steamed in a southwest- 



364 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS, 

erly-direction for twelve hours, before entering the 
Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb at the foot of the Red Sea. 
This strait is strongly fortified by the English, 
though its armament is not so formidable as that of 
Gibraltar at the entrance of the Mediterranean. 
Schools of porpoises kept sporting about and racing 
with the ship, as we approached the straits. 

The hot winds began to blow again, wafted to 
us from the African deserts ; at first their warmth 
was quite agreeable, after the cold and storms of 
the Arabian Sea. But soon we were glad to change 
our clothes for the thinnest apparel, and lie lazily 
imder the double awnings spread on deck. It was 
evident that another season of roasting was ahead, 
and we began to prepare for our last experience of 
thermal tribulation, before we should pass north of 
the Tropic of Cancer and enter the temperate zone. 

Since leaving Japan and China, my general 
course had inadvertently taken me, by its zigzag 
nature, four times under the line, of the ecliptic, so 
that the sun's rays were directly perpendicular. In 
the China Sea near Saigon, I passed south of the 
sun, and in the Bay of Bengal I passed to the north 
as far as the Himalayas. At Aden I reached the 
south again, as will be seen by consulting the out- 
line map of my route through Asia ; and in approach- 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 365 

_ ing Suez I once more gained the northern side of 
the tropics. 

Dodging about our luminary in this way, and at 
such a season, estabUshed rather a warm acquain- 
tance, and gave me some new ideas respecting the 
peculiar power of the solar rays. But the oppres- 
siveness of the heat depended more on certain con- 
ditions of the atmosphere, especially of dryness or 
humidity, than on the directness of the sun*s rays ; 
and the hottest weather experienced was on the 
north rather than on the south of the line mentioned. 

Thus far on my way I had been most fortunate, 
even with many odds against me ; and I felt that 
there was much in the journey that called for warm 
gratitude. Many dangers and vicissitudes also 
seemed to flee away as I approached them. In this 
I learned a lesson that might have a moral as well 
as a physical application. 

For example, I expected considerable suffering 
and even danger, on the tempest-tossed China Sea ; 
yet it never came. I was gravely cautioned against 
sun-stroke at Singapore and the Straits; but I 
experienced no trouble, and cloudy weather met me. 
I doubted the Bay of Bengal, with its cyclones, but 
it remained calm and pleasant. To travel in India 
, during the hot season, everybody told me was a 



366 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIM ALA VAS. 

dreadful risk ; yet . with care and endurance, I did 
it and escaped. I feared to go from the Himalayas 
down to Bombay, and people said it was suicidal ; 
yet the rains long prayed for met me halfway, at 
Allahabad, and saved me from further danger. At 
Bombay I was told that July was the most danger- 
ous month to cross the Arabian Sea ; I did it, how- 
ever, and took the dozen days of pitching with the 
best grace I could. 

But the Red Sea ! That was the horror of all 
horrors; and in Japan, China, and India, I was 
again and again commiserated at the very mention 
of it. One would think it was simply a question of 
roasting alive, or dying literally for want of breath. 
And in fact, as our steamer approached the Red 
Sea, it Was suggestive of the latter alternative to 
see the long tin scoops projected from all the cabin 
windows and portholes to catch the slightest whiff 
of fresh air. The vicinity of Aden and the Straits 
of Bab-el-Mandeb has the reputation of being the 
hottest place in the world ; but some of us felt that 
we could face anjy temperature now, as true veterans. 

Of stories of the Red Sea there were enough to 
frighten the timid ones, however. Our own steamer 
had lost its steward and chief engineer from sun- 
stroke, on a previous trip. The steamer India ^f 



HOMEWARD BOUND, 367 

the same line had lost its steward also, only the 
week previous, while passing the Straits. The P. 
& O. steamer Australia, which left Bombay just 
after us, but passed us crossing the Arabian Sea, 
and preceded us up the Straits, had three persons 
die on board from the excessive heat. This began 
• to look serious, and made the anticipation of what 
was in store for us anything but exhilarating. In 
the account written by a friend who made the Red 
Sea passage in January, or mid-winter, and who 
complained of the heat even then, he adds conso- 
lingly : " If such be the heat in January, what must 
it be in July } Then it is fairly blistering ; men 
stripped of clothing are panting with the heat; 
driven from the deck, they retreat to the lower part 
of the ship, to find a place to breathe ; sometimes 
in despair, the captain tells me, they turn the ship 
about and steam a few miles in the opposite direc- 
tion to get a breath of air; and yet, with all pre- 
cautions, the passengers often sink overpowered 
under a sun-stroke or apoplexy." 

Well ! Here I was approaching the dread un- 
certainties of the Red Sea with all its attendant 
horrors, and that too in the month of July — the 
month to be most feared. Besides, certain tales of 
Egyptian robbers were duly recounted to me, whom 



1 



3(38 FROM HONG-KONG TO THE HIMALAYAS. 

I might expect to meet in landing alone at Suez, 
should I ever succeed in reaching there. * 

Sitting on the deck of the steamer, as we steamed j 
slowly through the Straits, I thought rather soberly j 
of these things as I looked ahead in the darkness of \ 
the night, and felt the hot air from the Egyptian j 
coast fanning my cheek. I thought of the Israel- j 
ites, and of the Egyptians who pursued them, and, 
of the wilderness and the sea that shut them in, 
and of the darkness and danger that surrounded 
them ; and thereupon I took courage from their 
example, and determined to do just what they did 
on the shores of the same Red Sea, /. ^., ^^ Go 
fqrwardr 



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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY 



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