The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-03-06
0JRC5EINI LETTER.
An Excursion and sEuni on VAN. ISL

COMPANY with three other foreign men "a,
cabin passengers Tor sojourn on IA,
gre At river Of Asia, the Yang tSl Kiang
Just here will stop to annlizc the name
Yang means river; III is simply a char
actcr meanin: thing Hang is the nam,
o! the river. 81, ia smooth English, il
would be called the Kiang river. Oni
mission Che VI. T. J owns beautiful
yacht capable Of accommodating eight
cabin passengers, with outside room ioi
cooks and sailors. She WAS built 10y al
American, in Shanghai, for racing, at q
cost OF ! 2o9 tIrls)I tacl is worth 81 3&i
L. >. co'u( The young man was rather
faster than hIs boat, aud soon ran
through with his money, and the boat
was seized hy creditors and We bought il
tor hall its first cost. We use sails alto,
gcther. hence We depend upon the wind
Tor going | WIS surprised to see these
sail boats make 10 miles day against
a head wind, hut such is the case. With
proper wind we can sail Ia miles per
hour We anchor at night in the
mouths of small creeks, to be out Of the
way of the waves. In high winds the
large steamers ship waves on their main
decks, an uuhcerd of thing in our home
rivers 81 it is important tor small
crafts to hc in shallow water for anchor.
One of these anchcrt2cs presents a novel
sight at eycntiie Many hundreds OF
native boats stick into them, making a
forest OF masls To protect these from
pirates, the government has stationed
native gunhoats at intervals along the
river, constituting Il river police. The
watchmen fire guns aud beat gongs all
night, to give warning TO al rogucs to
keep their distance \ New York th,ei
would steal the sentIncl's gun without
danger or difficulty, bat it is safeguard
against the native pirates. vt some
small anchorages, where there are NO
soldiers, Cntcrur,sinE mcn have organized
a sysiem of guarding. 4 man pulls past
each boat aud takes up a collection for
guarding it. The price il cash; about
cent rer boat, and ii any boat refuse,
10 pay, the guards manage to steal
enough from them during the night to
make them willing TO pay at the next
anchorage.
Ii Was our purpose to go some 800
miles doHn the river, visiting the towns
ami cities, distributing religious tracts
and Bibles to the lcoplc--a common
incth-d "l reaching the psople-and to
take notes Of the lite aud mluuers OF the
people, and visit some very old historic
places of interest, aud haNin. contracted
u iundness Tor shooting when in tue wilds
of Kentucky, took my fowling piece
ard was elected comGiisssry of the ship
and required to furnish game for the
cable, which wa, "a very agreeable, and
w'thal, AN easy ta>k-ior the country
ahuuuds in choice game All along the
river. Tor Il distance on either side, is a
dense growth very much resembling the
OF Kentucky; but which,
unlike the canehrakes, is cut every year
Tor building houses and manufacturing
mats and fuel. Every foot of GROUND be-
ing carefully stripped OF all covering,
drives the game into the cover of the ad-
joining hills and mountains. There are
no trees on the low lands, as at home,
and only Il scruhby growth Of pines and
OAK on the hills--hencc the :. hole face
OF the earth is cleaned for luel-using
all dry grass aud gathering the cotton
and corn-stalks with much care. all OF
which may be seen in the markets Tor
sale. The people of Ohio county have
no idea how men can live in such small
quarters, and have no fire, except Tor
cooking. which is made OF straw. saw
men on the sides OF mountains digging
out the roots of shrubs and carrying them
home in baskets 10 dry tor fuel Many
families, often consisting OF several chill
dren, live in what is called here
a kind OF canoe made of poles
20 dressed aud fitted as to be water
tight. Over these boats they have hoops
made OF bamboo, much like those used
for covering wagons-which are adjuSta-
ble-and mats OF reeds To spread over
these, closing in tne house tor night All
the root-which is in seciions-is put to
the middle during the day, leaving room
for rowing at either end, the children
squaIting in the center during the day,
and the woman Of the house generally
rows the boat. while the head of the
family throws net, if fish
erman, and the majority Of boat livers
are fishermen. Young men buy a wife
and sam>pan and begin life in this way,
with few fish hooks or nets as stock in
trade, and spend their lives in these
boats. Children are born and reared in
these boats, only leaving the one OF their
nativity to enter another on their own
account. In China the son is expected
to do what the father did. This class
regard girls with dis!avor, and it is hard
to tell how many children are put into
the river and drowned. aud made food to
iatten the fish for their murderers, sins
ply because they were born girls instead
OF boys. 1t is a common custom to de-
stroy the female children. And TO such
an extent has this gone that girl. after
the trouble of rearing is past. will often
bring the enormous sum OF $50 The
result of The scarcity Of women is that an
woman in China is an unheard
OF thing. No old maids What par
ad'se! says some young miss of about
four cen summers, who is beginning to