The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-12
AROUND THE WORLD
General Grants Visit
to China.
FROM TIENTSIN TO PEKIN.
How the Ex-President Journeyed to
the Chinese Capital
AMERICA IN CHINA.
pEK1N. June 0. 1879.

lance from Tientsin to Pekin as the crow flies Is
eighty miles. By river 1t is $50 miles. have seen
some curious rivers. but none so curious as the
Peiho. 1t is q narrow. muddy stream. running
through low aluvial country. bordering with
crumblng clay banks that break and fall into the
water like the banks of the Upper Missouri Colonel
Grant who has had army experience on the Upper
Missouri, notes the resemblance between the two
rivers The Peiho runs in all directions varying III
width from twenty to hundred feet. in depth from
six feet inches The soil is rich and our jour-
ney through green and smiling fields OF rice and
wheat. We were in home ATTITUDES and although
the warmer than we bad found it at any point
since leaving Saigon it was relief to look over green
meadows and swaying fields of corn; to see apple
trees and be able in the morning and evening to
step ashore and stride away over the meadows.
Now and then familiar orchards, clumps of trees
that are called orchards, came upon the landscape to
give dignity and the trees clusters of small
houses built Of rlud. baked and burned like the
houses in Egypt with this difference. that while the
Egyptian houses unroofed mud walls with
only enough for the stones on which the corn
is ground, and for the holes in which the
family burrowed, these Chinese homes had preten-
sions to comfort There are severe winters on the
Peiho when the snow falls and the frost binds the
EARTH and cold searching winds all the way from
Siberia. From December to March the ice locks UP
the river, and ut time of the year have you the
gentle, gracious climate OF the Nile The absence of
stone makes clay necessary clement in building.
II there roads in China stone could be brought
from quarries. The absence of roads prevents one
section, like the Peiho. from enjoying advantages
which nature has bestowed upon other sections,
like those. for instance, which border on Mongolia
The Chinaman has world to draw from but the
world Immediately around him. and all the
of his empire beyond the reach of days journey
are as far away the resources OF India Japan.
NAVIGATION ON CHINESE RIVERS
Steam has never disturbed the waters of the Upper
Peiho. The barbarian brings his huge engines as
far Tientsin. but this is q serious effort and
there few things mariner would rather not
do than make his way from the Jaku forts at the
mouth OF the river to the Tientsin whnrves. Our
good and well handled vessel. the Ashuelot made tho
trip. and it seemed to me that the only seamanship
required was patience tempered with resignation.
The Ashuelot was built for shallow waters and is
kept on the Chinese coast because she can run
in and out OF awkward like
living useful creature. She reminds you Of
the web-footed gunboats. of which Lincoln spoke
in one of his homey documents, amphibious
craft almost as useful land water. and to be
trusted in everything but high But the Peho
was too eccentric even for the Ashuelot. and she
came up the river carromlng from bank to bank.
bullying into the mud. scraping over bars sometimes
lying across the river from bank to bank like
bridge q boom. Navigation under these circum-
stances is teasing. In this teeming aud venerable
land where people live and labor their ancestors
did before the Christian where the boats go up
and down the river as in the days Of Confucius.
where man in his person accepts the lowest and
severest forms of labor taking the place of the
steam engine in your boats and OF the horse
in your wagons. you need no qualities much
tive You nothing that does not speak the expe-
rence and repose Of centuries. skilled Chinalnan
could build shallow boat. drawing few inches of
water. with propelling wheel in the stern, and
skurry up and down the river under steam. But
when you think of the labor that would thus be ex-
tinguished. the thousands who live on the river,
whose home is on the boats. who labor the water
from infancy to old age, who have tracked and
spiashed and waded through the shallow Peiho as
their fathers did before Them we see what serious
economical problem is involved in steam navigation
AS remarked in Canton. there be no successful
labor saving machinery in country where man is
cheap.
PREPARING JOURNEY.
The question of how we should 20 to Pekin had
been gravey discussed You can go on horse
back or in carts. or in boats 1t is only question
OF degree in discomfort for there is comfort in
China-none. at least. in travel. The quickest way
OF reaching Pekin from Tientsin is by horse.
Horseback riding is the principal amusement in
Tlentsin. and you find good horses with Chinese
attendants at a reasonable rate Mr.. Holcombe went
ahead in cart, to prepare the legation for the
reception Of the General and party. The cart in
China is the accustomed method OF travel although
an attempt ut luxury has been made arranging d
mule litter. The litter seems to be q recol-
lection of the Indian litter palanquin. You creep
into oblong box with q rest for the head should
you to lie down. This box is mounted
on shafts, and you have mule leading
and another bringing up the While reviewing
our arrangements for the journey Mr.. Holccmbe who
has seen nearly every form of adventure and travel
In China gave his preference to the mule litter The
horse was impossible for the ladies OF the expedi-
ton. The carts embodied many forms of discom.
fort that were not brave enough to venture They
have no springs. and the roads. worn and torn and
gashed, make travel misery. There no availa-
BILE method but the boats. and all day Judge Denny
and other friends busy in arranging the boats
for the comfort of the General In this labor the
Judge assisted by Mr.. Hill. old American resi-
dent of China, who knew the language, and who was
anxious to do honor to General Grant that he vol
unteered as quartermaster and admiral of the expe-
dition. 1t would have been difficult to find better
quartermaster. There was no trouble no care that
he did not take TO insure safe and easy road to
Pekin.
BOAT LIFE ON PKIHo.
When the boats necessary assembled they formed
quite fleet, They moored near the Ashuelot,
aud all the morning Cinnamon running back
ward and forward. carrying furniture and food. The
party who visited Pekn General Grant and
Mrs. Grant; Mrs. Holcombe. wife OF the acting
American Minister; Colonel Grant. Lieutenant Bel
KNAPP. Mr. Deerng and Mr. Case. officers Of the Ash
uelot. Mr. Hill. as have said. went along quar-
termastcr. Mr.. Petbich. tho accomplished Vice
Consul OF Tientsin, and one of the best Chinese
scholars in our service, aud the secretary
OF the yiceroy. aminble young mandarin,
who knew English enough TO say Good morning"
were among our scouts. There two small
rhallow gunboats. which seemed to have guns.
except muskets. who brought up our The
Generals boat was what is called mandarin's boat