Entrance to Prakeo, the Royal TempleEntrance to Prakeo, the Royal Temple
Fronting the royal palace are the artillery and royal body-guard barracks and the Hall of the Ambassadors, where distinguished visitors are entertained during their stay. Not far distantare the royal Courts of Justice, a Doric building, whose interior is arranged in European style. The State barges are kept near the museum and across the river. Some of them are very large and have room for one hundred rowers, whilst most of them are very ancient. These boats are used in the State functions on the river. Almost directly opposite the palace is a naval dockyard. It is not large compared with those of Europe and America, but a great variety of work is carried on. There are large machine shops and spacious quarters for officers and marines, a graving dock capable of accommodating vessels of large size, and an ice factory which supplies the navy and the royal palace. There is also a fine Royal Military College in Siam. Other Government departments show the great progress of the country, particularly when it is remembered that fifty years ago Bangkok had no facilities whatsoever.
In the afternoon we took a steam launch to explore different canals. The first we visited in order to acquaint ourselves with the traffic and with various kinds of boats, some being loaded at warehouses along the way. The buildings were very unusual, as were the sights on the water. We then went on the river Menam, to visit certain temples. Among these were Wat Saket, which stands on the summit of an artificial hill and commands a fine view; and WatKanayat, where there was a collection of porcelain-trimmed temples and pagodas. We attended a short, intoned Buddhist service in one of the temples. In another, Wat Cheng, we had our fortunes told in the following manner: we each drew from a vase a long, narrow slip of paper with a number on it, then we proceeded to a priest, robed in yellow silk, presented our number, paid a fee, and in return received a pink paper containing a great many hieroglyphics, which our guide was able to interpret. Each fortune was rather peculiar and diversified in details. We, however, did not attach any importance to what was told us.
The roofs of some of the Wats are very handsome, the parti-colored tiles of which they are composed adding to their effect, whilst the pointed upturned gables, a feature peculiar to Siamese architecture, also added in no small degree to their picturesqueness.
All the principal Wats are accessible to visitors, but it is necessary to have with you a guide who can explain the different features. Sometimes the priests have a knowledge of English. Many of the Wats are suffering greatly from the ravages of time, and some are almost ruined. Of course this applies to the more remote temples, those in the vicinity of the palace being beautifully cared for. The King and other members of the royal family spend vast sums upon thetemples; nobles and wealthy Siamese likewise contribute largely to the funds, but all their efforts are not sufficient to keep the numberless places in proper condition.
The Klong Canal at BangkokThe Klong Canal at Bangkok
The King, who is now the sole reigning Buddhist monarch, takes the greatest interest in the maintenance of his faith and everything belonging to it. He is an ardent Pali scholar, and has established a college for the study of that ancient language. Nearly every State function which takes place within the palace walls is associated with some religious service, and the Buddhist faith seems to be deeply rooted in the heart of the Siamese people. The sacred books used in the temples are of palm-leaf, similar in style to those seen in Burma; a large number of women are employed in a factory for their manufacture, while many men are also there for the purpose of engraving characters on the palm-leaf with a set of special implements.
It had been a perfect afternoon, and the shores of the broad river Menam (meaning "Mother of Waters") were more than usually interesting on account of the novel architectural display, temples alternating with buildings of various descriptions, most of them gleaming white in the sun. We made a detour into the Klong Canal, which led out of the river some miles from our starting-point. Soon we had an entirely different type of scenery, similar to the jungle; densevegetation came quite to the edge of the canal. In places there would be two, three, or even more Siamese houses built high on piles, with thatched roofs and sides and an open front, the home life of the inmates being distinctly seen through the open front. Of course our launch served to collect all the curious in groups, from infants to grandparents. Ever and anon tiny boats passed us, the rowers singing or twanging some kind of an instrument with that happy unconsciousness of responsibility which seems to characterize the Siamese, reminding one of the days in Rangoon.
We came at last to a point where navigation was impeded because of a large vessel aground, and after skilful manœuvring and some minutes' delay, our launch proceeded on the homeward way. Night was upon us before we left the canal, and as the twilight faded, the gleaming of the lights in the little homes put a finishing touch to the picture. Once on the broad river, the shore effect was more wonderful than by day, and we lost all note of time until we were told at the hotel landing that it was half-past seven o'clock.
The following morning we left, at half-past six, for an excursion by rail and river to the old capital, Ayuthia. The ride of three hours in a car presented no special features. But we then took a steam launch and proceeded some milesfarther in order to visit the ruins of the old palace and the elephants' kraal. Skirting in and out, we saw about three miles of houseboats on sampans. This was a most interesting spectacle, all kinds of traffic being carried on, some space aboard being reserved for the family. There were boats for the sale of flowers and vegetables, others for household commodities, and some had crockery and glass and baskets. We then visited two temples. The ruins cover an immense space of ground and are a fine field for archæologists, but we had no means of classifying them and our guide was not scientific. Many of the most interesting relics are surrounded by a dense jungle which makes them difficult of access, but one receives a certain impression of the ancient grandeur of the place.
Tradition states that the custom of wearing the hair short by Siamese women dates from the days when Ayuthia was a capital. It is said that during one of the political invasions by the Burmans most of the men were absent in the harvest fields. The women accordingly cut their hair, took bows and arrows and spears, and manned the city walls. The Burmans, thinking they were men, were astonished at finding such a strong garrison and retired, much discomfited. It is also said that the women then adopted the same dress as the men, the panung, a garment something like the sarong but drawn up in themiddle, front and back. The cutting of the hair and the peculiar garb make it difficult to tell the Siamese women from the men. The style is distinctive with the women, as all of the surrounding people—the Burmans, Laos, and Malays—wear the sarong.
A walk of ten minutes from Wang Chang brought us to the famous elephants' kraal, or enclosure, into which the elephants are driven to be captured and tamed. This is a massive structure of teak logs, with a kind of V-shaped passage leading to it. When a hunt is to occur, the places frequented by the elephants are noted weeks beforehand, and they are gradually surrounded by some hundreds of men mounted upon trained elephants and also afoot, the elephants being gradually driven towards the entrance of the kraal. Within, there is an exciting scene, as the ponderous, awkward animals find themselves pressed onwardsen massethrough the massive gate into the enclosure. Once inside, they are dexterously captured by long leg ropes, whilst their struggles are kept from assuming dangerous proportions by trained elephants which range up alongside of them and aid their masters in every possible way, apparently taking quite a delight in the task. These hunts occur at regular intervals, and are generally attended by a large number of foreign visitors. Accidents, even deaths, sometimes happen,but these are not frequent. We regretted we were not in Siam at the proper season to witness such a scene.
The famous Elephants' KraalThe famous Elephants' Kraal
After a picnic luncheon, we proceeded down the river, stopping at different points to visit temples of varying interest; one was particularly noteworthy, as it contained a very large Buddha in the back of the temple and a row of brass Buddhas around three of its sides, some of them in fine repoussé work. At Ban Pa In we left the launch to take the train. Here the King has two palaces.
Ban Pa In is on an island in the Menam River. One handsome palace is in the European style, and another is of a pure Chinese pattern. There is a modern temple of Gothic style, built fifteen years ago. Near the palace a tower affords a fine view.
We arrived at Bangkok late in the afternoon, feeling well pleased with our day's excursion.
Fifty years ago Bangkok had none of the public buildings to be seen to-day,—perhaps a mile of good road and streets in only fair condition; now there are numerous drives and perfect communication to every point of the city. There are twelve miles of electric railway line, soon to be extended, while leading out from Bangkok are hundreds of miles of well-equipped railways. Jinrikishas are used in Bangkok, but with foreigners carriages are preferred. The nativestreet, called Sampeng, is really a Chinese-Siamese combination, and might be termed a bazar on the order of those visited in previous cities. The streets, filled with strong odors, are small lanes running parallel with the river, and to me were less interesting than previous bazars, the venders seeming to be apathetic and having less variety of goods. This impression may, however, have been due to the midday hour, for the natives, understanding the climate, are only alert during the mornings and evenings. The season may also have lessened the dash and excitement of the street. We were told there were quite as many tribes and nationalities represented in Bangkok as in Singapore, and such a mixture usually means novelty. The dress and undress in Siam afforded variety, the men and women nearly alike, for, as stated in the description in connection with Ayuthia, the women have short hair and wear the panung precisely like the men.
The guides in Siam are not very competent, and could give us only ordinary information, so there was little for us to do but to speculate on certain points.
Tower of Royal Palace at Ban-Pa-InTower of Royal Palace at Ban-Pa-In
There are several interesting towns which are within a few hours' railway communication with Bangkok, but we could only read of them, as none of them had hotels or even rest houses for the convenience of tourists. This state ofthings will be remedied as soon as it is realized that the outside world is interested in this far-away kingdom, the first tourist party having visited Siam only two years ago. We were hampered before reaching this country by the lack of a guide-book (as we had been in Java), Murray's enlightening knowledge having extended only through India, Burma, and Ceylon; but after our arrival in Bangkok we found some local guide-books, from which we learned of the towns alluded to.
Petchaburi seemed one of the most interesting on account of the wonderful caves and temples, a description of which I will give in brief, in order to prove that Siam, like the other countries previously visited, has unusual attractions along these lines. The railway to Petchaburi was opened in 1902, and the journey takes five and a half hours from Bangkok. It is an old historic town of much importance and the centre of a very populous district. It is picturesquely situated on both banks of the stream, curving seaward at the foot of some wooded hills. One of the hills is crowned with the royal palace and another with a handsome temple. The palace is a magnificent edifice and commands wide views on all sides, the sea being clearly seen from the observatory. The hill on which is situated the temple, and its companion, are known as Kow Wang.
Descending a well-constructed, if somewhat precipitous, staircase for what must be fully a hundred feet, we find ourselves in a cave from which a very spacious archway leads into a huge vaulted chamber. The first impression is one of acute astonishment, by no means lessened, even after one becomes accustomed to the dim light inside. By rough calculation the cave is about two hundred yards long by one hundred wide. The floor is paved throughout with tiles, and at every turn there is an image of Buddha. At one end there is a statue fully fifteen feet high in a niche fronting the entrance, and near by is one twelve feet high. In a wide passage, leading to another extensive cave, is a statue of the sleeping Buddha, apparently about fifteen feet long, and in the semi-gloom which surrounds him, suggestive of eternal calm and peace. In this cave are more Buddhas, sitting, standing, and reclining.
Thence, on through a somewhat low and dark tunnel, we go to yet another cave, from which a short passage leads upward to what was the original dark entrance. This is now impassable, as the stairs have collapsed. Many curious stalactites are in clusters, some like inverted lilies and others like canopies or umbrellas; they are of all sizes, ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter and some are tinted in various shades. The caves are well worthvisiting, and a view of them will adequately repay the time and expense of the journey from Bangkok. In the centre of the town and near a quaint wooden bridge stands Wat Mahathal, conspicuous by reason of its unfinished brick tower, on the summit of which a couple of trees are growing; a quadrangle surrounding this contains one hundred and ninety-five images of Buddha, which are of interest if only because of the different expressions of their countenances.
A Siamese girlA Siamese girl
The American Presbyterian Mission has a commodious hospital, pleasantly situated on the river bank, which enjoys a high reputation among the natives. There are two distinct tribes of Laos inhabiting this district. The women, on account of their peculiar headgear and jackets of dark cloth and short sarong, are interesting. The cultivation of rice is the prevailing industry in this district.
Judging by the number of Siamese feasts and festivals there are in the calendar, a holiday must always be in order. The Siamese official year opens April 1st, and about that time, a date regulated by the moon, the New Year holiday occurs. This is not celebrated quite as vigorously as it formerly was, but the country people make it the occasion for performing some great deed of merit, and this proves a time of harvest for the priests. Every one wears his best clothes, a special kind of cake is served,and the temples are thronged. Gambling laws are set aside, and in every house may be seen some game of chance. On the evening of the second day, for the festival continues through a period of three, all the guns along the palace walls are fired thirty-six times.
The Astronomical New Year soon follows, when the images of Buddha are sprinkled with water, while the priests hold a festival at the royal palace. Priests and aged people are presented with gifts.
When the sixth Siamese moon is at its full, the birth, inspiration, and death of the Lord Buddha are observed with great veneration; good deeds prompt every one, alms are given to the poor, and fine robes sent to the priests.
Twice a year the ceremonial drinking of the water of allegiance takes place at the royal palace. The princes, nobles, and principal Government officials assemble, drink, and sprinkle their foreheads with water in which various weapons have been dipped. Appropriate religious services are also held. The principal European officials also conform to this custom, which usually occurs in the months of March, April, and September.
A royal barge at BangkokA royal barge at Bangkok
The ploughing ceremony takes place in May and marks the beginning of the planting season. The King is represented by the Minister of Agriculture, who goes with a procession to the selectedspot, and, after some religious service, takes hold of a plough which is drawn by two gayly bedecked oxen. After scratching the ground for about an hour, four ladies of the royal household, attired in ancient costumes, sow various kinds of seed carried in gilded baskets. The grain thus scattered is considered sacred, and there is a wild scramble for it at the close. Many signs and symbols are attached to various parts of the ceremony, which usually takes place at Dusit Park.
A swinging festival is very unique and interesting, but is quite complicated and has to be seen to be understood. The swing is very high and I think is stationary.
Another ceremony is the giving of priests' robes. This lasts a month, and the King or his deputies visit every Wat in the kingdom. At this time the boat racing at the Pakman Wat occurs, and the royal barge and State boats are all brought out for the occasion. At another festival, the Loy Krathong (all these celebrations have their Siamese names), the river Menam and the canals present a gala appearance, being dotted at night with thousands of miniature ships, rafts, and boats, each brilliantly lighted and bearing offerings to the goddess of water. This festival occurs in October and November.
But the greatest occasion of the year is the King's birthday, September 20th, the three followingdays being included in the festival. Everywhere the city is a blaze of red and white bunting, and at night it is brilliant with myriad lights, presenting a fairylike scene. About this time the Foreign Office gives its annual ball, a brilliant occasion for which invitations are in great demand.
Siamese ceremonies are quite as peculiar as their feasts. The habit of cutting the long tuft of hair, which is left on children's heads until they have attained their growth, is very striking, and at the royal palace very elaborate preparations are made, which include religious ceremonies and the use of a golden jewelled instrument resembling shears.
In Siam cremation is the general way of disposing of the dead. Among the wealthy classes the body is embalmed and kept sometimes three years before the ceremony, which is conducted with great pomp and on a very expensive plan, gifts being distributed among all the attendant friends and sums of money given to the priests and to the poor. The Chinese, of which there are large numbers, are usually buried, but in case of a mixed marriage the children are cremated.
There are many superstitions. A peculiar one in court circles is the wearing of a different-colored panung each day of the week,—on Sunday, red; Monday, cream; Tuesday, purple;and so on,—for good luck. Another is the use of buttons adorned with representations of animals, symbolical of the year in which certain persons are born,—this also for good luck. The tendency naturally leads to great respect being shown to fortune-tellers. The youth of Siam are, however, it is said, outgrowing this superstitious condition.
One time-honored custom is, however, in greater vogue than ever, and that is massage, which is employed by all classes.
While the foreign residents of Bangkok are not large in number, they have made their impress felt, and in no way more markedly than in the amusements which they have inaugurated. There are sixteen organizations, many of them recreation clubs for golf, tennis, and cricket, but there are also a literary club, a dramatic club, a Philharmonic Society, and a gymnasium. Bangkok has a good library, containing books of travel, reference, and fiction.
Racing is popular and is generally attended by the King, who gives gold cups for prizes. Hunting is in great favor, for game can be found near Bangkok, and at not a remote distance lurk the rhinoceros, buffalo, tiger, leopard, deer, antelope, hare, and crocodile. Elephants abound, but may not be shot.
Bangkok, as a city, becomes distinctively individual as one learns more of it; for instance,the telegraph and the telephone lines are controlled by the postal department and are working satisfactorily under this régime. As early as 1902, important fiscal changes were introduced: one was the closing of the mints to free silver, and the other an issuance of paper currency notes. The first meant the practical adoption of a gold standard. I cite these examples as showing still further progressive methods.
There are holiday resorts on the east coast of the gulf, where Bangkok residents can retire for a change of air. These have been mentioned. There are also remoter places of great interest farther in the interior and in the mountains, which will soon be available for travellers.
Rathburi is an old walled town of importance. Near here, the French Catholic priests have a mission house and seminary. The American Presbyterian Mission owns a fine hospital, and two missionary families are stationed here.
Phrapatoon is the seat of a large pagoda which is visible for many miles around. It was formerly gilded and was built in style similar to the pagodas seen in Burma.
With all the available information about the kingdom of Siam, one cannot but feel that it has a future full of possibilities; certain it is that the measures already inaugurated by the King are made for the welfare of his people.
The tropical growth of Siam impressed us only slightly, as we had just come from Java, "the garden of the earth." Otherwise we should have been enthusiastic over the beauty of the landscape and the luxurious growth of trees and plants.
There was no special programme on our last morning in Bangkok, and so I wandered around for final impressions and for photographs. I had an amusing little talk with what proved to be the court photographer. Among other notables of the realm, he showed me a picture of the Crown Prince, whereupon I innocently asked him how many sons there were. He replied, "Sixty-seven," and that he had taken all their photographs. The reply was rather startling, and I impulsively asked, "And how many daughters?" He looked blank and admitted that he did not know. Of course I understood that the family relations of the King were modelled on strictly Oriental lines, and that he had three legal wives, the number prescribed by law; but I was unprepared for a statement that showed a daughter in a royal household to be such a nonentity as the above implied.
When I visited the market, I saw an unlimited number of fruits as well as vegetables; cocoanuts, plantains, bananas, durians, pineapples, bread-fruit, jack-fruit, dates, almonds, pomaloes, mangoes (fifty varieties), mangosteens,custard apples, limes, oranges, tamarinds, figs, and papayas, all are to be found here in their proper season. I did not even know the names of some, but never again do I hope to see such a display.
There were fewer flowers than I had been led to expect, but the flora of Siam is said to be particularly rich in unusual varieties of orchids, which are found flourishing abundantly even in the jungles, and a visit would well repay a collector. A person can find a rich field in Siam along many lines of investigation.
We left Bangkok in the afternoon on the steamerNuen-tungfor a five days' return trip to Singapore. I have already alluded to the "sand bar" which is an obstacle to navigation; hence it is that the heavy freight vessels anchor fifty miles distant at Koh-si-Chang, but I learned later that this obstacle could have been removed by dredging, had not the authorities declined to take any action, as the "bar" furnished a safe means of defence should war ever occur.
We saw various pagodas as we advanced; the most noted example was in the village of Pakman. As viewed through masses of foliage, it reminded us of the trip on the Irrawaddy River in Burma. A cargo of rice was taken on at Koh-si-Chang, and we did not leave there until eleven, the day following. A group of islands similarly called was a feature of the trip. It wascooler when we entered the Gulf of Siam, and the China Sea was favorably smooth. The conditions of the steamer were unchanged, but they had grown familiar to us, and even the cockroaches no longer intimidated me.
The collier quay at SingaporeThe collier quay at Singapore
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Singapore: We arrived at Singapore early in the morning, and for a third time viewed the shores; on this trip we went to the Raffles Hotel for a brief sojourn. The place is airy, capacious, and semi-Oriental, and reminded us of Colombo, as did the temperature, for although but two degrees from the equator, the air was like June at home, and without any of the chill in the evening that we sometimes experience; so it was a great pleasure to sit out in the corridor-like veranda and listen to the music. It was all so contrary to our expectations, for we had been told fearful tales about heat, insects, and general discomfort on the Malay Peninsula, or on what they term the "Straits Settlements."
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Johore: To commence with, we devoted the first afternoon to an excursion to Johore, the capital of an independent Malay province, whose Sultan reigns with pomp and ceremony. After a railway ride, we took the ferry across the river, where a scene of loveliness awaited us. The city is unpretentious in appearance, but our afternoon excursion revealed to us a variedlandscape with a tropical growth. We visited a plantation where india rubber, one of the chief articles of export, is cultivated; then a large Mohammedan mosque, finely located on an eminence. The tiger house on this particular day held but one inmate, who showed no desire to devour us.
The grounds surrounding the palace are as spacious and as well cared for as a botanical garden, with the brilliant flowers, blossoming trees, and a great number of red sealing-wax palms. The palace is luxuriantly embowered in vines and trees. Johore is a famous gambling-place, but the "parlors" were deserted on this afternoon, and we could see only the fine furnishings in carved teakwood.
The stay in Johore ended with tea at a hotel. Here we saw the real Sultan entertaining a party of Europeans. He looked young and was dressed in an immaculate English style, quite unlike the striped calico suits displayed by royalty at Jeypore, India. He came in a French automobile, and is said to pass half his time in Singapore, being fond of society. We arrived in Singapore for dinner, and during the evening a delightful surprise awaited me in the appearance of two Milwaukee friends.
The Sultan's Palace at JohoreThe Sultan's Palace at Johore
The following day much ground was covered, for, by invitation of Cincinnati friends, I took a motor ride of about forty miles amidst undreamed-ofbeauty, both near the city and in the surrounding country. There were streets lined with villas whose gardens were full of a luxuriant growth of shrubs and flowers; some of them had the quaintest high-arched gateways, with coats of arms and animals carved in stone on each side of the entrance. The Botanical Gardens were very interesting, as was also the park, miles from the city, and laid out around the reservoir, which furnishes all the water supply. We went on and on until we reached the "Gap," where a mountain view awaited us. We visited the shops and bazars before luncheon, and in the afternoon all of us explored the native Malay quarter. The dress of the women was unlike any other seen in the Orient. The Chinese seemed to be the real residents, for everywhere they prevailed in large numbers.
In whatever direction we went, new features revealed themselves, and we commended the wisdom of Sir Stamford Raffles in founding this island city with its wonderful harbor, where shipping from almost all parts of the world congregates, making the active sights at the quay at once novel and business-like. Indians, Sikhs, Malays, and other nationalities are represented, but the Chinese perform all the menial labor required.
The coolie is a character,—patient, hard-working, uncomplaining, supplying a demandthroughout the Orient, made necessary, as we have seen, by the indolence of the Burmese and of the Malays, to mention only two examples.
Singapore is very gay in the season, and a centre for the wealth of the Far East; indeed, sultans and nabobs consider it a veritable Paris.
The last morning of our stay, I went around in a jinrikisha, and my man was as fleet as a horse. I had an experience trying to find so simple an article as a paper of pins, visiting shop after shop. Evidently they have not learned the ways of the American department store!
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Hong-Kong: We sailed in the late afternoon on the steamerMoltkefor a five days' voyage to Hong-Kong, with a feeling that we had experienced no discomfort but much pleasure in the seemingly maligned city of Singapore.
We passed the Strait of Malacca without any untoward excitement, and we steamed along pleasantly with a group of passengers who looked well-bred and agreeable; as time went on, our first impression of them was corroborated. A delightful feature aboard was music every evening in the salon, mostly singing. There was a service on Sunday, both for the first-class and second-class passengers. We soon entered the China Sea, which was to be our sole waterway to Hong-Kong, fifteen hundred miles distant, orrather to the Straits of Formosa, which guard the China Sea on the north, as the Strait of Malacca does on the south. We reached port on the morning of March 20th, and the approach—past many islands, along the fine harbor, with its high rocky shores, towering mountains in the background, and a terraced city in the foreground—gave us a new sensation. We landed at Kowloon and were taken across to Hong-Kong (which, properly and legally speaking, is Victoria).
A general view of Hong-KongA general view of Hong-Kong
The public gardens in Hong-KongThe public gardens in Hong-Kong
Fronting the landing is a long street of fine stone business houses, which extend tier after tier from the shore and in a way represent the city's commercial importance.
The Hong-Kong Hotel is situated in the business centre; although under English management, the service was entirely Chinese, and at luncheon we were confronted by an array of waiters with braids around their heads and wearing long blue garments made like aprons; the ensemble was indeed most depressing. The menu presented a curious feature, the courses being numbered, and you were expected to point to the number, but woe to any one who wished an egg boiled four minutes or a piece of rare roast!
Hong-Kong is on the north shore of the island, and dampness prevails even when it does not rain (there is an unusual amount of rain); inconsequence, great care has to be observed by the residents, both of their homes and clothing. Yet, notwithstanding this and other disabilities, the English have made the island "blossom like a rose." Engineering enterprise has converted the mountain-side into an attractive residence centre. A railway leading to the Peak (the highest point in the landscape) is not only a convenience, but a pleasure on account of the magnificent view afforded along the ascent. A little lower is an attractive Peak Hotel, which is popular with residents. At every point on the heights there are features to impress one, as we found the afternoon of our arrival, when we took jinrikishas to visit Happy Valley, where are located the public garden and the Protestant cemetery, which is also laid out like a park. The Catholic cemetery is near by and has the same general features. Happy Valley is also the scene for various sports, such as golf, tennis, croquet, and racing, in which Hong-Kong abounds.
The afternoon of our visit, we walked about to various points, enjoying the views, and commending the perfection which had been wrought since 1842, when China ceded the island to Great Britain. Realizing that Hong-Kong was destined to be a world port, England some years since leased a portion of the mainland from China for further harbor facilities. This stripextends back thirty miles and is held for a term of ninety-nine years. The city retains its former name, Kowloon, but its business facilities are all under English management. The miles of docks, warehouses, shipyards, and machine shops are another proof of the wisdom and forethought with which Great Britain carries out her plans for colonizing alien places.
A typical street in a Chinese cityA typical street in a Chinese city
Hong-Kong was destined to be our headquarters for nearly two weeks; it is a convenient point from which to make excursions. On the first Sunday morning I attended service at the English Cathedral; the building is on the heights, surrounded by a well-kept close and overlooking a fine residence portion of the city. I was conveyed to church in a sedan chair on account of the steep ascent. During our excursion to the Peak, we first took a railway chair, then a sedan chair; leaving that, we had a long climb before we reached the summit, where there is a flagstaff. What a view was before us—mountains in the distance, the harbor and the islands, shipping of all kinds, and roofs of every description! Descending, we had tea at the Peak Hotel. Another afternoon we went in a launch to Kowloon. We took a jinrikisha for a general exploration of the old Chinese city, and aside from what has been indicated, we went through the native quarter, saw several temples, visited a Chinese school,and ascended the high wall for a view. Much of the wall is unimpaired. A drive in the country followed, and we saw many tiny Chinese gardens and a number of cemeteries.
The jinrikisha ride to Aberdeen, a fishing village some miles distant, proved delightful. The roadway was sometimes close to the water's edge; then we ascended and looked down over low cliffs, with coves ever and anon dotting the shore. It reminded me continually of the ride from Sorrento to Amalfi, and again of the Upper Corniche drive from Mentone to Nice.
Early on Wednesday, March 25th, we left on the steamerKeung Shangfor a visit to Canton, ninety miles distant. Leaving the commercial city and a fleet of shipping vessels behind us, we had some miles of lake scenery; then we had islands and the coast line beyond. Soon we were in Pearl River, and the surroundings grew more picturesque,—now a little village near the water's edge with a mountain behind, and then more islands and more mountain ranges. We had a glimpse of Castle Peak, two thousand feet high. We then passed an immense prominence, called the Half-Way Rock. At a place known as Tiger's Mouth, fortifications were seen. The country soon becomes flat, with rice fields and fruit farms; we saw the Whampoa Pagoda and some miles farther on the Honam Pagoda. Near Canton, wepassed another pagoda, and then the white spire of the French cathedral gleamed out, and our goal was reached. It is a most interesting river trip, and is unfortunately more often taken at night, in order to economize time.
The first impression of Canton is one of noise, a fearful din rising and falling in a kind of cadence, and seeming to proceed largely from an immense flotilla of boats extending a long way, tied, in a majority of cases, seven and eight rows deep—craft of all kinds, sampans, junks, rice boats, freight, each with its quota of humanity, for this is a veritable floating city, with a life all its own, and almost wholly independent of the Canton proper which we were about to visit and which numbered a hundred thousand souls.
We had not anticipated much enjoyment in Canton, having read of the dirt and smells, but we had not expected to be deafened at our very entrance, and I think for the time being it dulled the consciousness of this wonderful spectacle of a floating independent city just at the door of a city whose name is famous the world over.
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Canton,March 25th: We were soon conveyed up a back canal to the Shameen (the name of the city of foreign concession), where our quarters, the Hotel Victoria, were located. My room was situated on the ground floor, thegallery opening on a large garden or court, abloom with trees and flowers. There was no key to the door, and strangers were all about me, but the complacent manner in which I met this fact caused me to realize that my courage was greater than when at Jeypore in far-away India.
The first afternoon, a jinrikisha ride convinced us that we were in the most congested city on the face of the globe; a city of streets so narrow that two chairs could hardly pass each other; a city of strange sights and more violent contrasts than any we had yet seen. And the smells!—the English language does not contain words strong enough to describe them. In the bazar portion of the city we were diverted by the box-like shops, with their open fronts, and filled with curios, works in jade, wood, and unique articles of feather jewelry.
Then the wonderful Chinese signs! We had noticed and admired them in Hong-Kong, but in size and beauty they now far excelled anything of the kind we had seen before. They extended from an upper story, for these bazars were many of them on the ground floor of four-story apartments, each story having its front gallery where one could witness diversified scenes of family life. The signs are about a half a yard wide and are decorated from top to bottom, with gold and brilliant colors, theChinese letters forming a large feature of the display. These signs (sometimes five grouped together) are wonderfully effective, as they sway back and forth in the wind, and they are a partial indication of the Chinese industry which prevails.
A five-story pagodaA five-story pagoda
There were larger shops in better locations in the city, and here we found the grass linen embroidered articles and the crape for which Canton is famous.
The following morning, we departed on a more serious sight-seeing expedition, to include all manner of typical Cantonese places, but before I had been out an hour I decided that the description of one temple only would not adequately convey a true impression, for everywhere we went things seemed unreal and grotesque, but interesting. First, we entered what our guide termed the Medicine Temple, not so very large, where on the opposite side of the room huge idols were placed before all manner of receptacles for holding medicine; next a Buddhist Temple, very inferior to any we had seen; then a Confucian temple, plain like the majority of them; while a Shinto temple had the characteristic torii before it. This latter I will describe when Japan, the land of the torii, is the topic.
The Five-story Pagoda is quite imposing, as it is placed on the city wall and commands a wide view. It is the custom for parties to go thereand take their picnic luncheon, and our guide had planned for us to do this, but unfortunately the pagoda was being repaired and visitors were not permitted. So we proceeded to a large building on an eminence, which was furnished like a club house and was evidently for public use. There was a conventional garden in front, affording a very extended view.
A visit to the so-called "Home of the Dead" followed; this was unlike anything ever experienced before. We entered an enclosure, laid out partly as a garden; there were walks leading around, and some of them had low rooms at the sides, with open fronts, while on a plinth rested coffins of different styles; the bodies within were awaiting burial. Flowers were scattered here and there, and I believe fruit, food, and offerings of various kinds also.
We next visited the place of execution, which was ghastly with its associations, and the executioner swung the large instrument around, as the guide explained the process of decapitating heads. But fortunately for our nerves the place then contained only long rows of jars from a pottery near by.
The Nambo Prison proved to be a wooden affair, gates and all, but the poor unkept, unwashed victims who glared at us through the bars looked too sickly and emaciated to offer any resistance, even had they a mind to escape.
Temple of the Five Genii at CantonTemple of the Five Genii at Canton
By far the most interesting place we visited was the Temple of the Five Hundred Genii, with large brass gods seated on opposite sides of a long hall,—the Temple of the Five Genii, and the ancestral temple of a certain royal family of China. We first entered a large enclosure, then a goodly-sized audience room, and next the temple proper. The three walls of this room (as I remember them) were fitted up like an immense cabinet, with rows of drawers, each supposed to contain some document relating to that particular ancestor. There was one upright vacant space which the guide said would be filled when that branch of the family died.
We were here without a "Murray," as in Java and Siam, so we graciously accepted such information as our most intelligent guide could give us, who, by the way, was the original guide of Canton, two sons now following in his footsteps, for the father in his later years rarely accompanies parties. He is a gentleman, affable, well dressed in Chinese brocade, and less unresponsive than are most Chinese; it was indeed a pleasure to be "conducted" by him.
The Hall of Examination is open to the public only once in three years, when students of high-school grade are examined for entrance to a university course, eighty-seven of the applicants being chosen. The hall has, on three sides, little box-like slates about six by eightfeet, furnished with only a plank on which the student must sit and sleep. He is shut in there for three days, food being given him on entering for the entire time. This torture is repeated three times, so that nine days of purgatory have to be endured before the goal is reached.
The aristocracy of Canton is not one of wealth, but of intellectual honors; many of the Chinamen who are seen wearing horn-rimmed spectacles are either of a literary turn of mind or are attempting to pass as such.
Seen from the city wall or any very high point, Canton seems a city of roofs, with scarcely an opening and not a vestige of green. The narrow streets are many of them covered with awnings. It is a city of great color, the brilliant signs, the covered palanquin chairs, the costumes of the wealthy Chinese, all contributing to the riotous effect. It is a city of very wide contrasts, for rich and poor jostle each other on the streets and their homes are often side by side.
Canton is, after all, even with the noise, smells, and dirt included, a fascinating city, and while one would not care to remain long in it, one should never omit it.
Shameen, the island of concession, where are located two hotels, consulates, churches, some shops, and the homes of all the foreign residents, is a most pleasing place. Long avenues of trees are seen on every side, the grounds of many ofthe homes sloping to the river, which of itself adds to the beauty; the water is spanned by two iron bridges which are locked every night; everywhere a general air of refinement prevails. This very Shameen furnishes the greatest contrast of all to hoary, venerable old Canton.