Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-08-31
Selected taisfeiIaul).
AN EXCURSION IN CHM.
A ConsuE's Advenfure-Thc Temple OF
Fly Come-Ptk Lok and its villages
country Hospitality.

At night we anchored at Tai Tong Hui
The next day, Friday,w met another dead
boav floating down the river. That nigh
brought us to the large market town o
Tsing Yune. The ngxt day about noon, al
we were passing tho custom house at Pal
Nh (mew) intending to land at the towI
TO get some provisions, crowd of the en-
ployes at the custom house ordered oul
boatman to stop, so that our boat Nigh
be examined. Our men paid no attention
to them, and passed the first customs
boat, without resistance, but the soldiers
on board the next one seized the gunwalei
OF our boat with their hooks, and wert
about to stop her, when my travelling com
panlon, who was on the roof, expostulateC
with them for attempting to stop or board
without permission a boat Will
the American flag flying, teIIinf
them at the same time, that tn
United States Consul was on board
and ne would resent any such Interference
They still paid no heed, and he then seize6
a plank, aud aimed blow at the head o
the leader, when all let go. and allowed ut
to proceed. | was lying down st the time
hearing great storm Of voices, but bliss
fully ignorant Of the cause. 4 hundred
yards further on We moored TO the wharf
and my friend promptly made his way L
the custom-house, and calla' for the hea(
official He demanded of that fuBctiouari
for what reason his soldiers attempted L
stop and board IN th8t irregular and disor.
derry way boat on which the y, S. flag wsl
flying, and which was carryinga us Consul
The officer apologized, begged not to be re-
ported to his superiors, said it was all mis-
take of the soldiers, who did not Hnder
stand the courtesies due in such case
ard that he was very sorry for the oceur-
renee. My friend th8n gave the message
with which he was charged-thab the con.
sul was travelling for pleasure. information
and health; that his boat was moored at
the town; that he had given his boatmen
strict orders not 20 smuggle anything un-
der cover of the flag; that it was quite pos
sible. however, that they were doing SO
secretly; that If he desired to find out, and
would so intimate Immediately, the consul
would receive and entertain him officially
within an hour, snd would give him an op-
portunity to search the boat thoroughly.
He sent word back, with his card, that he
was perfectly satisfied, and did not wish to
examine the boat.
We now entered the Using Yune Pass.
The river here breaks through bold and
lofty range of hills, from 1900 to 1000 feet
in height. The pass is three miles or
more in length. and there are many abrupt
turns in its course. The faces of some OF
the cliffs which frown down on the passing
traveller ere almost perpendicular The
river throughout the pass is quite swift and
deep, and has an average width of about
$50 yards, but in some places it must be
less than rs yards wide. The wind was
d l. la-1o,,,5oI ~, 4aTa IL,
and rowing against the current was out Of
the question; so our boatmen had to resort
to cracking, which indeed they had been
compelled to do often before. Eight or ten
men land, each provided with a short
rope, to one end of which is attached a
cotton collar; the foremost man holds the
end of the main rope, which is paid out
from the top of the mast TO a sufficient
length; he quickly mounts the bank, and
scrambles ND to the roadway; the next
man fastens his short rope in trice to the
main one; the next, whose rope is a
little longer takes o longer interval and
fastens his, and SO on to the last. They
then throw their weight cheerily into the
collars, and away they go at a swinging
gait. A substantial roadway is cut out of
the steep hillside. It is about five feet
wide, and paved with granite. Viewed
from the water it looked not unlike the
track of railroad gkirting the side of a
mountain. The handsome granite arched
bridges, which spanned every chasm and
waterfall breaking from the hills, served
to complete the Illusion, and [ half ax-
pected to hear the scream of the loconlo-
tive startle the echoes. Indeed, with
very little levelling, and doubling the
width of this track, q perfect bed for the
iron rail would be ready here. One could
not help admiring the substantial cbarac-
ter of the bridges. Every one, and they
were numberless, was built of dressed
granite, and looked as if intended TO last
for ages. This is the character of all the
public or cooperation works of China that
I have seen.
About midway of this pass we came TO
the temple and monastery Of Fee Loi-''dy
come" The tradition is that dragon
which occupies the shrine at the top of the
mountain ''came by flying" and took his
abode at this spot. Broad, handsome steps
of granite reaching below the waters edge
lead up to the main entrance. The prin-
cipal buildings are erected some forty or
fifty feet above the river, and occupy the
broad lap of great chasm which deGOuch-
es here. The temple is built after the
fashion of all such In China. We were
offered tea, which we declined, and init
mated that we wished to go to the top and
see the shrines and small temples above.
The priests informed Us that there was a
stairway up either side of the chasm, but
that the left one was to be preferred, After
climbing some three or four flights OF steps
to the second row Of main buildings, | be-
gan to feel that the ascent was TO be a
fatigUing one, and as l wished to carry
away come memento of the place I asked
for q cane. A sordid-looising old prizes,
brought out very handsome specimen OF
natures pranks in the shape OF gnarled,
knotted, twisted and cUrled stick, the head
of which had grown back upon itself like
the hilt of a sword. He asked three dol.
lars for it; | offered him one. After 'Fdick-
ering" for some time he fell TO two, and
started on without it, telling him ne ought
to give it to a sick man who needed it to
climb the hill. He retorted that if ] was
sick was q great man and had plenty oi
money. l left him and proceeded some
distance up the hill, when he called after
rs that he would take dollar. The stick
proved of good service the rest of the way.
It is useless to attempt to describe the
scenery which here met our delighted gaze.
Great trees of 3 hundred varieties reared
their tall heads and stretched their benig.
nant arms out over us little climbing NOR
tais: over and around their huge trunks
clambered and sported vines and bright
creepers; brilliant flowers waved IL the
cool breeze which swept up the gorge, OF
nestled costly on some ledge of great
irovning o7erhanging rock; ferns and
palms and brilliant tropical underground
here and there, made a shade almost as
deep as night. Above US, and at our sides
and beneath as, SIS we climbed, danced ana
brawled and sparkled little stream, which
seemed to be coquetting with the chance
sunbeanas as It rushed out over some rocB
snto the light, and then hid Itself away il
! dark green pool, poutiDg and silent 0
II was a scene for a painter! And that paint
er ought to be Ppt through the heats an6
sweafs of q level tropical country for fev
months preparatory to being let loose il
snob 4 place Then he could paints
After bath in the cool mountain watel
we descended, and bade adieu to Fee Lo
Tze. Leaving the pass and coming e8ail
4nto the level country ge Witnessed move
mode Of collecting toll OF the passing boats
There are frequent streams which toV
from the rice-Helds and creep SluggIshl'