The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-04-03
Adventures in Pigtail and Petticoats.

! the dress of Chinaaan-"the sume
with intent to deceire"--has given to
the world the story of his adventures. in
a volume which he calls the Travels of IA
| Pioneer of Commerce in Pigtail aud
| Petticoats." His name is I. T. Cooper.
ltappears from his unprcteDtions narrative
that ne encountered every kind of dis
comfort during the whole journey Once
the casual removal of his spectacles
brought mob of Cinnamon around him
He was loudly hoored aud one man. be
ing the worse for drink, caught hold oil
his skirts aud nearly pulled bin back
ward. Luckily, Mr.. Cooper's assailant
happened to be humpbacked and very
ugly, so profound bow to him and Il
revereutial exclamation of Surely, this
great soldier" tick led the keen sense
of ridicu!e which is implanted iu the
| Chinese, and turned the tables Mr.
Cooper was not quite so pacific when be
met great mandarin on his journey, and
was upset into newly flooded rr@1iuy field
hy the great maDs outriders "The sol
6ierS, says Mr.. Cooper, ''ordered my
fellows of the road into Il field, and on
their naturally objecting, one of the
soldiers, without more ado, rode at my
chair, knocking chair and coolies head
over heels into the field Fortunately
no great harm Was done beyond IA wetting
and bespattering with the soft mud, about
1.-TWO feet deep, in which | lett my satin
boots while struggling TO regain the road 7"
For moment Mr. Cooper showed fight,
making ii rush at the soldier, and in
tending to drag him of his pony but he
thought better Of it, for the mandarin,
who followed with large escort, would
no doubt have taken summary ven seance.
Another danger 10 which Mr.. Cooper was
exposed may seem to cast some reflection
on the system Cf competitive examina
tions in China. One of the towns that
he visited was crowded with candidates
for literary and military honors, and the
resu!t OF their presence in the place was
that all Christian Inhabitants had lett
and stranger could not show himself IN
public. Bands of riotoas and excited
students were constantly going up aud
down the streets; ana MIR. Cooper heard
that the year before number of those
candidates had wrecked the house Of "a
Christian bishop.
Mr.. Cooper had more than one exper
ience of the superstitious fears of his
Chinese boa;man. lie cuce happened
to spit over he bow and was Immediately y
pulled violently back by one OF the men
who said lie had offended the wind god
1t was necessary TO propitiate that deity
by an Offering Of crackers, and these were
sUeInnly let Of the same evening =
Another tine, when The boat was in
narrow and rocky gorge, with perPen
dicular sides rising 800 feet or 500 feet
high. Mr. Cooper gave the Australian
cry of "cohee." which was answered by
a thousand echoes,
Ali Of sadden large mass of rock
Of seyerai tons in weight, ieil with
noise like thunder, crashing first on a
projecting crag, 200 feet or 300 feet
above the boat, aud then plunging into
the river withia ten yards Of it, deluging
it with the spray hIr. Cooper himseli
shudjered at the danger he had so
narrowly ESCAPED but his crew were on
their kuess, aud did not stir till every
echo awakueG by the crash and plunge
had died away among the distant hills.
They then TOLD Mr Cooper that he had
made the god of the hills very angry, aud
had caused him to hurl this great rock at
the boat they proposed, therefore, to
achor at once and burn some sacred
tspcrs As this request was not granted,
the boatmen uiaGe up for it by burning
great quantity Of tarers that evening, aud
letting of SO many crackers that Mr.
Cooper found sleep almost out Of the
question.
But the most pcrplezipg predcamcnt
ia which AIr. Cooper found himself
Invoked was his unconscious marriage
TO a uasive maiden Here is his story:
He was just hating for breakfast, after
leaving the Thibetan town of Bathaug
wien group Of girls, saiIy dressed and
deeked with garlauds Of flowers, came cut
Of grove aud surrounded him. solDe OF
them holding his mule. while others as
sisted him to alisht lie was then led
into the grove, where he found feast
beiog prepared, aud after be had eaten
aud smoked his pipe, the girls came up
to him again, pulling along in their midst
a pretty girl OF sixteen, attired in silk
dress, aud adorned with garlands Of
flowers
Il had already noticed" Mr. Cooper
continues, ''this girl sitting apart from
the others during the meal, and was very
much astouisted " hen she was reluctantly
dragged up to NE, and made to seat her
self by my side; aud my astonishment
was considerably heightened when the
rest of the girls began to dance around
us in circle, singing aud throwing their
garlands over myself aud my companlou.
The meaning of this performance was.
however. soon made clear to Mr. Cooper.