The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-12

boatmen. who have no other home but the river
The other boats were small plain shells. divided
! into two rooms and covered The rear of the
boat given to the boatmen the front to the pas
| sengers. In this front room q raised platform
of plain pine boards wide enough for two to Sleep
There room for chair and couple OF tables
II the weather pleasant could open the sides
by taking out the Stats and reclined on the bed
look out ON the scenery. But during the day it Was
| too warm, and in addition to the sun there were
streamiur clouds of dust that covered eyeryt thing
! During the night it cold enough for blankets.
that our boats We're rarely or never open. and we
burrowed away most OF the time as though IN Ken
! mel a cage. Each of the small boats had room Tor
two persons. In the rear the cooking was done.
The General had special cooking boat when
brought up the rear. and when the hour tor meals
! came was hauled alongside.
EMDARkING FOR PEKIN.
| We should have been under way at daypreak, ana
| the General was up at an early hour anu anAlous
| To be away. But the Chinese mind works slowly,
| called it-showed that it would be noon before we
could go. Judge Denny had taken OH his coat ana
was trying to stimulate the Chinese mind ny an ex-
The Chinaman has his pace for every Junction. and
was not to be hurried. The day was oppressively
warm and the knowledge OF the Generals departure
had brought a multitude of Cinnamon to the water
sideof the curious people who think it no hardship
to stand all day around the Consulate watching FOR
plimpse OF the General. About noon the last bis
cult had been stored, all the sails were hoisted
and the fleet moved away under the command of
pull through the wilderness or Junks that crowd
the river tor miles. and wait the General above.
An hour later the General went on board the Vice.
roy's private yacht and pushed up the river. A
small steam launch from the Ashuelot led the way
The result of this was advantageous If the General
had gone in his own boat it would have taken hun
some time thread his way through the junks.
But boat carrying the vicerega dag has terror tor
the boatmen. who. as soon as they saw it coming.
hastened to make room. Chinese officer stood in
the bow and encouraged them to this by loud
cries and Impressions. Whenever there was
any apathy he would reach over with his
bamboo pole and beat the sluggard the Shout
ders. 1t was woe to any boatman who crossed our
path, and only two ventured to do to their
sore discomfort. We pushed through the wilderness
OF junks at full speed We passed the bridge OF
boats and under the walls of the ruined cathedral
destroyed the Tentsn massacre OF the Sisters of
CHARITY Here there was pause as we were passing
the house of the Viceroy and etiquette demands that
when great mandarin passes the nome OF another
he shall stop and send his card and make kind in
the Generals card to the viceregal house and
turned with the card and the compliments of the
Viceroy.
After taking our leave OF the Viceroy we came into
the open country and found our fleet waiting under
the immediate and vociferOus command of Admiral
Hill. The Admiral was on the bank wearing straw
hat and carrying heavy stick. which he waved over
the coolies aud boatmen as he admonished them Of
their duties. The Admiral had learned the great
lesson of diplomacy in the East-terror-and it was
difficult to imagine anything more improving to the
about with his stick boating in the Peiho
is an original experience. Sometimes you depend
rope is taken ashore and three or four coolies pull
you along II you get aground, as you are apt to do
and push you off the mud by sheer force OF loins
and shoulders, like carriers lifting their carts Of
the mud. What one needs in boating like this is. l
have remarked, resignation and patience. The men
who pull your boats have done so all their lives.
They are sturdy. well knit race. and seem to thrive
under their exerons Ordinary travellers generally
tie up for the night and 60 on during the day There
are three or four villages on the river
where the boats and junks rendezvous. and
passed them we fleets at anchor,
mainly riceboats. The Admiral. however. had
organized his expedition that we should move day
but with double relays it Is not arduous. The re-
tor If the Admiral yentured to 90 on
board the boat and sleep the boatmen would tie up
and sleep likewise. As 1t was impossible even for
the most willing Admiral to walk all night well
all day. discovered on the second morning of
journey that instead of polling along quietly
thrown down their and fallen asleep disregard
ing the menaces OF the Admiral, who had admon-
ished them to vigilance before he turned in.
Human nature has its limitations. and once the eye
OF the Admiral was closed the boatmen Lay down on
the banks and slept. We might have remained all
night at rest but Lieutenant Belknap discovered the
situation and gave the alarm, The Admiral turned
with his stick and after few minutes Of vgor.
| Gus and effective manDuvring we got under way
But there was no more sleep for the Admiral that
night. He had lost confidence in his boatmen, and
they tugged along the river bank with their ropes
their shoulders lie tramped beh nd with his
cudgei. telling them in forcible Chinese what he
thought of men who would basely go asleep after
promising to remain awake and pull
SUMMER TRAVEL. IN CHINA.
You can imagine that boating under these circum-
fresh from the feversh and rushing West, where
nothing that is worth doing is done at
Here we are journeying from a seaport to the
capital of the oldest and most populous Empire
in the world-an Empire before whose achievements
even the proudest of US must bow. At home we
could run the distance IN two or three hours-in
morning train while we ran down the columns Of
the newspaper and smoked the breakfast cigar.
Here your journey is matter OF days, and al-
though you may chafe under the consciousness of
much time wasted there is no help for 1t. You
it. "a
Mrs. Grant did. and take cheerful view and look
the trip picnic, and the pleasant side of a
journey in which you hauled along a muddy,
shallow river at the pace OF mile or two hour.
We all of seemed to be cheerful. Our expedition
had grown into quite heet and We named our boats
after the English navy. We had a Vixen and
Growlcr, a Spthre and Terror; the Generals
hulk called Temerase and the cooking boat the
Chow Chow We exchanged visits from boat to boat.
There was reading and sleeping, drawing sketches
and writing. When the in his strength we
sheltered ourselves and dozed In the cool OF tho
evening, or AS the sun went down, we went ashore
and strobe the fields crossing the bends of the
river and meeting our boats further up. When
went ashore were always followed by policeman
from the gunboat, whose duty it was to that We
did not 20 astray fall into unfiiendly hands.
When came to village the magistrates and head
men out and salutc us and offered welcome
and protection. Then learned that the viceroy
had sent word of our coming and had commanded
the officials OF every degree to hasten and oer their
homage
OUR CHINESE FRIENDS.
Even such trip has its bits of adventure. In this
country there are squalls, spits Of wind that scud
over the nelus, auu MI your ana SEND You
booming along. Then the coolies heart rejoices and
he comes board, and gorees himself with rice
and crawls into his and sleeps. Then the Ad-
miral comes on board and unbends himself, and
tells stories of Chinese life and character; how
was chased by Cinnamon near Shanghai when build
ing that untimely Woosung Railroad. how he knew
Ward and Burgevine in the Tapping rebellion
days These squalls, however. have to be
closely watched for the sails large.
the boats wide and shallow. and a sudden Whit
of wind will careen them over. The boatmen.
however. are alert and as the wind comes over the
whe felQ he
One morning some OF the party went board the
maudarin's boat to show our Chinese friend as much
attention could through an interpreter. These
attentions never proceed far. You cannot say many
things TO a Chinese mandarin, no matter how civil
you mean to be. when your medium Is an interpreter
and where there is really common theme of
vcrsation. You that You objects of wonder.
of curiosity each other. You cannot help regard
ing your Chinese friend something to be studied,
something you have long way to
see. whose dress, manners appearance ainuse you.
To him you are quite a. curious. lie looks
down upon you. You are q barbarian. You belong