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

about the world being round. The mandarin was
very civil and. the Admiral acting interpreter
great deal OF information mainly geographical was
impaired. Then one OF the party stepped to
another boat for the purpose OF calling the GEN
eral The way you make calls while boating on the
Peho is to hop from boat to boat for they all re-
main easy distance of another and there
trouble in going through the whole fleet when
You are IN visiting humor. One of our party
stepped on another boat. Before he had gone fifty
PAGES a splitting squall came the fields and
bige against the bank. The boatman
rushed toward his ropes but too late The boat was
it's beam ends and the best that could be done
was to hold on TO the sides of the deck and keep
your feet out of the water There was nothing ca
lamitous in the situation. If the worst to the
worst you had only to walk ashore in water up to
your knees But the boat righted again. and not
even that harm was done. Our Chinese mandarin
pulled up in great excitement. Nothing could ex-
coed his concern-hs polite expressions OF concern
The idea that whom the Viceroy was honoring should
be almost tossed into the water! TerriDle! And by
Cinnamon. too! Horrible! He would make an exam
pie OF that boatman. The only proper punishment
would be to take his head Of At the very least he
must have 200 lashes. We interfered we'll
could. No harm had been done, and accidents will
happen to the best managed boats. and who tell
when squat of wind may come splitting and hiss
ing over the feldsy The captain of the careenng
boat already on his knees-abject and implorng.
II Mrs. Grants boat had been within reach influ-
ence of decisive nature might have been invoked in
favor OF mercy. But her boat was half mile away.
and justice be effective must be summary, aud the
that could be done was reduce the blows from
POO to 20. So the unlucky captain was seized
by two of his and laid down
his face on his own deck. One held his head down.
another his feet, and third kneelng gave him
twenty blows with thick bamboo The blows
did not seem to be severe and would not have
brought whimper out OF an average New England
boy. At the close OF the punishment the whipped
man knelt before the mandarin, pressed his tore
head to the ground expressed his gratitude tor the
mercy he had received and his contrition for his
fault. Then with crestfallen looks he went to his
boat and took command. About half an hour later
saw him gorging himself with rico and chattering
away with his comrades as though he had never
known a lash. The more you see of the Orientas
the you are struck with the fact that many of
their ways are as the ways of children.
NIGHT RIVER.
In the evening We would gather in the Generals
the conversations except the discovery that one of
the naval men knew some words OF the song "Sher-
verse. and that inaccurately. But the fragmentary
lines were constructed into verse in some such
fashion scientific men take bone and construct
an animal and the result was Union war song. sung
badly perhaps, any song could be, but tulI OF
music to us in the memories it brought OF home
and of the great days i'll American history. This
snatch OF song led to other snaches all OF them in
accurate and badly chanted. but homclike and
familiar, and given with the usual gusto SO that
when we went from the Generals boat and
picked our way from boat to boat until We found
own. We were surprised to find it midnight.
and that the long evening hours. which one would
suppose to drag YEARLY along this tedious,
muddy river. had swept past us like q dream.
gentle are the memories OF home. And some Of
Sat on the deck and smoked last cgar-just
last cigar before turning in to see the moon. and
watch the night shadows and think of home. The
Admiral was shore urging and driving his boat
men, his voice rising into crescendo and ending in
wall that sounded to us like plantive entreay but
must have meant something dreadful to the China
men. The boatmen pulled and tugged.
and then giving a grunt AS they pulled
together in sudden burst over some muddy bar or
around bend. Passing rice junks hailed in
words that we did not understand, as 1t was we'll
perhaps that did not understand. Lights fitted
along the shore. telling us that we were passing
village and that the magistrates coming down
the river lank execute the Vceroys orders and
see that we were journeying i'll safety. And with
the magistrates came the dogs, who gave us well
come And there were the voices Of the night that
somehow here. here in the tar antpodes. spoke
with the language OF home, and above all the moon
throwing tints and shadows on the river.
DIsCOMFORTS OF THE JOURNEY.
So, in contented fashion ana as best we could, we
made our way We did all we could to enjoy the
journey You see am writing about it IN rather
fanciful poetic mood, talking about the moon and
Wissahickon the blue Juniata. That is, however.
privilege that writer's have-the privilege OF look
or sunlight or red. glaring flame. Then every
body had told us that the trip to Pekin would be
dreadful and would not pay for the trouble.
Shanghai or Tientsin, where there were
clubs and dancing and newspapers. and every one
dying to give dinners and balls and princely well
come. And we had come on the journey in some
thing like q spirit Of defiance OF all good advice,
flying IN the face of the Providence which ones
friends always carrying around in their carpet
bags and levelling at you. in highwayman fashion.
when they have one purpose in view and you have
coming to China without going to Pekin would be
like seeing Hamlet" without Hamlet. Or anything
under sense of duty, we were disposed to look at
everything through the moonlight At the
same time it is trip which should
duty. There really every form OF disco
The sun during the day. the cold night winds. the
DUST the insect life with which you come in ontact
and about which could write unutterabe things IL
l did not prefer to leave something to the readers
Imagination Travelling in boat with Cinnamon,
cla0ra and son rat frnr
them by single wooden partition, is not pleasant
thing. You share every sound and odor. and the
alone are circumstances to be encountered with res
ignaton.
THE END OF THE JOURNEY.
On the morning the third day OF our departure
from Tientsn we awoke and found ourselves tied up
to the bank at the village OF Tung Chow. This was
the end OF our journey by the river and our little
chattering Cinnamon. MIR. Holcombe had ridden
down from Pekin and came on board to greet us.
The Admiral on the bank, very dusty and travel
worn. He had been tramping all night to keep the
boatmen at their pulling and his voice was husky
from much admonition. de was IN loud and
cheerful spirits and III great glee at having brought
tho General on time. Tho General. however, was
not In, but his hulk slowly moving up
through the junks. towering above them all-the
American flag at the masthead. The available popu-
lation OF the village had been assembled. and some
thing like q step had been erected covered with
red CLOTH where there to be official landing.
There were mandarins and ofhcersfroin the Foreign
Office. and an escort OF horsemen aud coolies with
Kung. the Prince Regent had sent the escort and
were glad to learn from Mr.. Holcombe that there
every disposition among the rulers Of China to
show the General all the courtesy i'll their powerto
treat him with a respect. even with pomp. that
had never before been extended to foreigner
FOR THE CHlEAMEN.
1t some time before the Generals hulk was
dragged into position. and 1t was only by extreme
authority on the Admirafs part and the loyal CO.
operation OF other Chinese officials who had sticks,
that the boat finally tied to the shore. 1t was
early in the morning, and there was so sign of the
General stirring. SO we stood around and studied
the crowd talked the incidents OF the night
and paid compliments to Admiral Hill upon the
vigorous manner in which he had taken us up the
Peiho. The town folks were waiting; but. III the
meantime their patience was rewarded by an extraor
binary spectacIe-no loss a sight than group Of
barbarans ut breakfast Our naval friends had break
fast early and they removed the Stats in their boats
to let in the morning air the whole operation OF
breakfast witnessed by the people OF the town.
They gathered in front and looked on in wonder the
crowd growing denser and denser more and more
eager and amused. The knives, the forks the
spoons, tho three officers performing on eggs and
coffee, eating from plates without chopsticks in
Ill -. l...asI