Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-05-23
VOL. Il. NEW SERIES. VOL. XIV.
a VEHMoNTER's TRIP ROUND THE
WORLD.
ieaVe- from Dr. Thayer's Journal
On tue Way to Calcutta.
MONDAY, February u.


ieave- from Dr. Thsyer's Journal
On tue Way to Calcutta.
MONDAY, February u.
= ,Coutinued.)
: After breakfast a party of Us went on shore
t. and engaged eharry for drive through
f the city while it was yet cool. The ponies are
no larger than those used in singapore, but
more beautiful and OF much better behavior.
They are from Sumalra. weigh only tour 1r iNe
hundred pounds. and cost from three t" eight
hundred dollars each. The city Of Penang Tor
: the Island of the Prince OF Wales contains
one hundred and thirty thousand inha5il ants,
/ mostly Malay~ and Chine-e-in fact th, chi
ncsr are the predomnating population OF nj the
ISLANDS of the straits, which are French. lIOl-
land lnd English colonies. They are the lrin-
cipal merchants and business men Of all Asia
that we have visited. The city Is pretiil, laid
oui ani well shaded with palms and cocoanut
trees it, ~rrect> rather crow ded hut not much
SO Is other cities with large population of hi
namen. Penang occupies a plain wa>h,i on
one side hy the waters of the straits, and on the
opposite side range of wooded hills nearly
three thousand feet high project it from the
mnnsoons prevailing from that quarter. All
along the water side, far into the country, are
line residences. fronting the straits or 4 wide
| mlrIdImiled road that cncircle> the island. The
island i thirty miles long by about seven wide.
AMI l. divided into nearly equal portions 10y
the mountains referred 10. 1t has been the
scene of many horrible tragedies. resulting
from war betw cen different clans of Chinamcn
NJ.
Even now some of the neghboring islands are
infested 10y these outlaws only waiting for an
| opportunity tp seize 4 dcienceleS> prize. our
>hip.whichi i in The opium trade and often trans
| ports large amounts of treasure, is abundauily
supplied With the munitions of war and would
| give a warm reception 10 a body Of ireebooters
if they should attempt To seize her. Not
l.llny wears ago, small steamer on her way
Ia Batavia, with Il large amount of Mexican
dollars on board, was surrounded by Chinese
Junk> iilleI with pirates, who seized the ship
and murdered the captain and all the sailors,
except the engineer, the pilot and boy. who
were Threatened with death if they refused 10
| obey the orders 10 bc given them as 10 the
working and direction of the ship. few
days altcrward the boy put poison into the
raldron OF rice in preparation for the pirates
supper. and before morning they all died but
These We're la>hcd 10 the ship. carried in 10
port and tortured To death. Although such
things are le>>ening in number every year, the
residents are living in the expectation that
they may occur almost any day.
PENANG, India. Tuesday Feb. -. 1879.
On our return To the ship. yesterday, the |
Thermometer indicated the temperature OF - ,
\ rain fall lowered the temperature and enCOur- |
aged breeze from over the city, which would |
have been more acceptable from some 9th e. |
quarter. \ crowded city, not over clean. after |
a rain emit> perfumes not of the most agreeable |
kind. By closing the windows Of the saloon |
We had the choice of selection between the |
inhalation of bad smells or being smothered /
from the worst ofar. BY opening the lea ports
and setting the punka in motion both difficult
ties were - nearly overcome that comparative
comfort came 10 u. We were disappointed in
our expectations OF leaving IN the afternoon by
atclrgT:im To the captain from the OPIUM powers
at Calcutta, To remain here for further orders.
I'm excursion was proposed for trip 10 the
mountains AMI visit 10 u water fall, which
declined 10 accept. Although the spirit was will
ing the body preferred TO remain on the plains |
al Penang, or beneath the awning on the |
steamer ''Arratoon Agar" While the other
gentlemen Of our party were on drive 10 the |
base of the mountain, and pony back ride of
about three thousand feet up steep ascent,
! engaged gharry and drove 10 Il hospital, |
aud afterwards 10 other places in the city that |
had not visited. ON my WAY in from the |
'. |
man ON his way 10 dine with 4 friend a little |
way out OF town. as was informed on inquiry |
made afterwards. Preceding the gharry in
" hirh he sal smoking his pipe were Two men,
each bearing ON the ends OF long poles highly
ornamrnted Chinese lantern aS large aS Il half
barrel. SIX men following him were blowing |
away On Squeaking bamboo iiies, accompanied
by Two others, one with gong and the other
with Il horn. Next 10 be noticed were twelve |
men. each bearing a lacquer tray on his head |
Z III WlIfh ! noticed saF. |
iicle Oi vegetable, or some fruit which contri- |
butte To the making up oi a Chinaman's dinner, |
such Is rlce, oranges, mtngos, turnlps, etc. To |
nriug up the rear were twu ,nen-Laarinp half |
hog >lung TO pole across their shoulders. |
II Is the custom of the Chinaman when going
10 visit friend, even only 10 dine with him or
To pass an evening, 10 take presents with him, |
which ordinarily consist of such ~ contribute |
10 the making up Of a feast. our friends return |
cd from their mountain trip after three hours |
absence expressing. themselves a. feeling fully
paid for the journey. The summit of the |
mountain once gained the tourist has before /
him picturesque view of the city. OF the bay |
and Of the straits and their numerous islands. |
| was much Pleased Al receiving from my COM |
rtdc- on their return from a three hours trip |
10 The mountains, expressions ui regret that | |
could not have been one of the party, accom- |
panied by some rare specimens Of fern and
some pretty wild flowers a. i token of their |
remembrance OF me. Fruits and flowers |
abound hcre-tree> are in bearing, and flowers |
ih nlp"h an lhe year round; but neither irnlt
Ia> the flavor. nor flowers the fragrance of |
other countries. even in The tropical regions.
When drl' inS along shady lane We observed
an enclosure surrounded 10y a rattan hedge,
within which, beneath the wide spreading |
branches oi tile cocoanui tree and the palm,
was building OF moderate pretcntion>. Dn
inquiry We learned that it was the free
school OF Penang, endowed by a wealthy |
hlnaman more than century ago, and that
There were nearly 4 thousand children within
H. walls 10 be instructed in the English Ian
sInse-thOut twenty of them Europeans, one
hundred Mahonlmedans, and the balance
'hnc~e.
l"'> not -ctih 10 bc prrceGcd 10y warmth here. |
hut ppurs down IN torrents. The most comfort |
able place we have found since We left Hong
hun" l. upon the steamers deck,when the ship
l. IN motion. where we pass most of the day, |
and in nclinins bamboo chairs sleep during the
night. Through the first hall of the day we
have al intervals Kept watch of signal hill for a |
>isn of an incumin" steamer, the arrival of |
winch VIII be permit Tor u 10 proceed on
ward in our voyage. Al this writing we feel |
assured that il Will be here for addi-
iioi- are being made 10 our list of passengers
by the arrival of Chinese and MahOmmcdan |
people with their wives and children. our
>oIuurn in the bay of Penang has been quite
sufficient 10 give IL an idea of the island, and
confirm our opinion uf the Ccc>iials, who are |
the principal inhabitants OF the Islands of thc
archipelago, and ui the still more important |
ones bordering the straits of Maacca.
,r
ih' "NpAh' FEBRUARY - IN'''
ON board steamship Arratnon Agar, Capt.
Ne iNl>l IA thc lfaN oi Bengal. 4 continuation |
"I lh" Indian Ocean.
Al i"ur yesterday afternoon, we steamed |
"ut Dl The bay ami the Straits of Maacca into
The BAY al Bengal, extending inland from the |
Indian ocean. Yesterday | referred To the
sol 1t ..f I