The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-18
AROUND THE WORLD
Grants Farewell to China and
Arrival in Japan.
THE GREAT WALL.
Cruising Along the China Coast
and Visiting Chefoo.
NAaAsAKI. june q. 1879.

NAGAsAKI. June 81, 1879.
1t seems to be q duty incumbent upon all who
come to the East to visit tho Great Wall Of China
General Grant had planned q trip while We were in
Pekin and Mr.. Holcombe had made all the arrange
ments. The Chinese government had with ready
courtesy given orders to our treatment by the
way, and the important question as TO how We
should 60 had formed . living theme of talk amid
the depressing days of midsummer weather at the
Legation. You can 60 on horseback or on donkeys.
or in Q cart or in mule litter. and when we had
nothing else to do we went the merits and de-
merits of each form of conveyance. Our old friend
from the Nile-the donkey-whose achieve
ments gave US an exalted idea OF MS
patience and endurance. would have won the
preference but for the condition OF the
roads. which not to have been mended since the
Tartar invasion. Mr.. Holcombe told me no had trav-
elled all through Northern China and in every form
Of conveyance, and that he found the most comfort
in the mule litter. noticed. however, that much
residence in China leads one to have moderate ideas
on the question Of comfort, and SO long as you can
GET on you are content. Some of my rides in China
were over roads and under circumstances that would
have filled me with q sense Of wrong at home and
inspired to write to the newspapers and denounce
the authorities. But it was what expected to find
in China. and. suppose one was thumped about and
bounced and jostlcd it is a small matter especially
when you going around the world. The mule
litter is swung poles and carried by two
mules. one going ahead. the other behind. 1t is
long enough to enable you to recline. You creep in
and huddle up. and your mules dawdle away with
you. Somehow it gave the impression Of going to
your own funeral. The ordinary cart of the coun-
try. without springs seats cushions. in which
you sit with your legs curled up dangling over
the sides, Is torture. II had made the trip
should have walked most of the way and had the
carts ana litters for smooth roads and fatigue and
other emergencies. The more the journey was con-
sidered the less attractive it became We were under
the cruel stress Of unusually warm weather. The
thermometer was wandering about above the hundred
degree mark. Our journey to the Temple OF
Heaven to the city walls to other temples had been
attended with unusual discomfort. TO 60 at all We
should have to travel ut night and rest during the
day. This consideration decided General Grant.
His journey would be not alone to the Great
Wall. but the people in the interior and especially
to have glimpse of Tartary. Travel by night would
prevent this. and we gave up the journey.
ALONG THE MoNooLAN COAST.
But to come to China and not the Great Wall
would have subjected to adverse criticism for the
remainder Of our lives. Consequently there was a
relief to susceptibilities when told that
tho Great Wall came to an end on the seacoast
way to Chefoo. and with q favoring
could run up and go shore. This
solved upon, and the Viceroy left us
the Richmond steamed slowly up the coast. the
Ashuelot going direct to Chefoo. Tho contrast be-
tween the Richmond and the modest little Ashuelot
marked. and we had a sense Of abundant space.
of roominess. OF opportunities for walking But the
Ashuelot is n we'll commanded ship. and left her
with pleasant memories. and 1t was not without
regret that General Grants flag hauled
down. 1t good fortune to have a smooth
sea, and when the morning came we found ourselves
steaininS slowly along tho shores of Northern
China lining the horizon. Navigation in the
China is always problem. and the coast
past which We were sailing is badly surveyed.
As general thing. carefully has science mapped
and tracked the ocean that you have only to seek
counsel from vagrant wandering star. and you will
be able to tell to the minute when some hill or
promontory will rise out Of the waves. There
such comfort on the China coast. and the Rich
nond had to feel her way to grope along the coast.
and find the Great Wall best we could. Fortu-
nately the day mild and clear. and we could
steam close to shore. All morning sailed watch
ing the shore the brown receding hills the leapng.
juttng masses of rock; the bits Of greenery that
seemed TO rejoice in the sun. tho fishing viii
lagos in houses of clay that run toward the
..-Jle. 1t was lonely Heretofore. in
cruise the China coast. we had been
burdened with company. The coasting track
is so large that junks always in sight. junks
and fishing boats and all manner of strange. clumsy
craft II you used to travel the vast seas,
where sail week is q rapture, this presence of
many ships q consolation. 1t takes away the sell
hshness of life and makes YOU think that you
part Of the real world. But 1t is ut the same
time trial to the sailor. The junk is an awkward.
stupid trap. and always crossing your bows or edg
ing up against you. The Chinaman thinks it good
luck to cross your bows. and IL he can do 80 with
narrow shave. just giving you clip with his rudder
he passes. he has had joyous adventure. While
creeping up the China coast we were always on the
watch tor junks. but down. 1t
trying. however. to naval patience and found it
so uch be tier to be alone on the sea and look for
our Great Wall as well as we could undisturbed by
the heediessness of Chinese mariners.
THE GREAT WALL CHINA.
sperry. the navigator, had experience that must
have reminded him of Columbus discovering
America. He had found the Great Wall. by careful
looking through the glasses, III time we saw it--a
thick, brown. irregular line that crumbled into the
sea. The Richmond steamed toward the beach, and
30 gracious was the weather that we were able to
anchor within q mile OF shore. All the
boats were let down. and as many us
could be spared from the vessel went ashore
the captain the officers. sailors in their blue tidy
uniforms and an especial sailor with pot OF white
paint to inscribe the tact that the Richmond had
visited the Great Wall. The Great Wall is the only
monument have which could be improved by
modern sacrilege. and which could be painted over
aud plastered without computations OF conscience
Prom what read of this stupendous achievement
1t was built under the reign of Chinese Emperor
who hourished two centuries before Christ. This
Emperor was disturbed by the constant invasion of
the Tartars, hardy nonadic who from the
hills of Mongolia and plundered his people, who
indeed afterward to come, If only the Emperor
could have opened the book of fate and known, and
rule the country and found the dynasty which ex-
lists after fashion still. so His Majesty resolved
TO build wall which should forever protect his
empire from the invader. The wall built,
and 80 we'll was 1t done that hero we como. wander
ers from the antpodes. twenty centuries after. and
find IL sll substantial imposing. but in the light
of modern science useless WALL IL is 1,250 miles
in length, aud IL is only when you consider
that distance and tho incredible amount of labor IL
imposed that the magnitude Of the work breaks
upon you. We landed smooth. pcbbly beach,
studded with shells which would have rcjoiced the
cyes OF children. We found A small Village and saw