The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-02-12
Letter from China.
GRAND CANAL, CHINA,
Dec. IA. 1871.


with Mr.. DuBose on an interesting tour
We left Soochow one week last Friday
and proceeded by ensy stages to Chin
liang, travelling mostly evenings ant
mornings, and selling books during tn,
/, day. Chinkiang is about 100 miles iron
Soochow, on the Grand Canal where j
crosses the Kaingtse River. Wearrivet
there last week Wednesday and fount
three missionary brethren, strangers
who treated us very kindly Thursda.
we intended to start bright and early To-
Nankin, sixty miles further on, on til,
Kiangtse River, but when we woke NJ
on that morning we found the wine
blowing strong dead ahead, and will
such a strong current as prevails ther'
we could hope to make no progress il
our boat So we must needs give tina
up. Should we give up Nankin9 W,
found that we could go overland b,
riding donkeys, so, as one great obiec
of our coming thus far was to see Nan
kin, which we had never seen, an(
where our board expect to open a sta
tion soon, we determined to press on
We expected it would be a little colo
riding over the hills at a slow donkey
rate, but we dressed warm and set out
having called three donkeys, two fol
ourselves and one for our bedding and
few books. So Thursday by 10s A.
M. we we're on our way. We mado &c
miles by dark, walking about half the
distance, both to rest ourselves and the
donkeys, and to keep warm. Put up al
a Chinese inn, which, as the place was
only small village was none of the
best. Found q room inside with three
beds, but were told we could have then
all. We picked out the one which
looked most comfortable and deposited
our blankets, &c, thereon; called fol
supper. What would we have2 chicken
and rice. Had no chicken, but had
some duck So duck and rice it was.
We brought along little tin of butter
and paper of sugar which helped on
matters good deal. Quite number
assembled to see us eat. They would
look at the butter and ask what that was,
then at the sugar and guess what that
was, for they have sugar but no butter.
Being ourselves rather cold, and the
| Chinese having no fires in their houses,
we asked if they could not bring us
some fire. Soon some one came in
bringing some lighted charcoal in an
earthen dish partly filed with ashes.
We held our feet over this, taking il
turn about as it was too small for two,
and managed to make ourselves pretty
comfortable thereby. When it came
bedtime we felt in rather an uncomfort-
able condition as there was no door to
our apartment and it would be the most
interesting part of the evening for the
people to see us retire, but we finally
settled the matter by asking everybody
to go out of the room and then putting
out the light. Next morning we were
up by daylight and ready to depart. On
asking for our bill found it to be fol
three of us (including the donkey man
who came with us), for supper ndlodg
ing and feed for beasts, just twenty-five
cents. Mr.. DuBose and l had dined
the day before on one and three-quartel
|. cents, including tea, and SO considered
this rather large, but paid it without any
demur, as we thought the people did moi
often have an opportunity of charging
exhorbitant rates to foreigners.
We found our donkeys not so fresh as
the day before, but made very good
time, reaching the nearest gate of Nan
kin by u o'clock. Finding our way to
the house of the only missionary in the
place, a man who lives in native house
and wears the native dress, having his
head shaved and a queue hanging down
his back, we made ourselves known.
Though q stranger to us he received us
gladly, and entertained lis most kindly
during the time we spent there. After
taking some dinner with him we sci
about our work of seeing the city. FRS
we went on to the city wall back of hit
house, but the day being little murkJ
we could not see across the city. We
then called horses and all three set of
for the drum tower, distant about five
miles away. We rode through some o.
the principal streets and noted the
houses, the business and the people
i The drum tower stands nearly in the
middle of the city. Mounting it we OBJ
tanned such a view as we have never hac
before in China. Here was city
hemmed in by wall some thirty mile,
in length. True not allthe space withir
it WAS inhabited, but here were souls by
the hundred thousand, and only one
man to preach to them, and he but {
year in China and scarce able to makt
$ himself understood. What sight an(
what a thought!
We came down from the tower anC
: walked a little ways to the east wher,
? we saw an immense bell lying ON tn,
I ground, measured it and found it /.
#. high, seven feet four inches in diane
ten, and seven inches thick. We aske,
where it came from, and the people sai
Y "from heaven, it fell there
We rode back to our friends hous
! and spent the night with him. w
: hoped he would have a fire, but wer
! disappointed and had to go to bed witt
s cold feet. Next morning, after walking
n about little, we called native boa
and started for Chinkiang, where we al
rived early the next morning, GLAD t,
get to our own boat again and have
}, fire and get something little foreign {
/, eat. Although it is nearly the middl
v of December we had no fire but the on
!. little pot of charcoal, from Thursda
~ morning until Sunday morning. An
3 vet we had eniOVed ourselves n pres