New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS
/. rRrp THROUGH INDo-CHINA.


TRIP THROUGH NDO-CHINA.
ACROSS cHRYsE Being Nsss s e s,s: surssr
iauds from Canton 70 asndslay by AEchs seshner
CoLQuHoUs. 2vols. 8 ses PIP 4zo-Aoc' 0'''A'''
Wexford d Co.
Mr.. Colauhouns account OF his Journey tnrousA
rndc- cbina,--the Chryse of Ptoleny-is long, NIL
nuts and simply wr1iten-she story Oh spsso''e@.
.l"rsr moro interested 10 sthnology and in finding
nav channels for British trade than IN tho graces Oh
b,.rarv execution. he has noted. however 30
uah that was novel, fantastic and exciting IN DIS
Trim bv land and river from Canton through so"'n-
west China. that even its length fails to make lis
book tedious.
like many other trav elers, he finds little 10 ao-
mire In the Chinese character. ne conss"A'
suffered from the treachery OF his astehaanV' '
in s,,epce ignorance and superstition OF iocai ohi,
cxls-suftered 90 much in truth, that no wasaoiooa
10 alter the plan OF his journey aud give up nos
enc cherished purpose. The ignorance Oh onnSs
rulers may be illustrated by an int'rvie" WV.
Sub Project an educated" Chinese geh'iena"' W.
asked Colquhoun seriously whether no urooi''a
,cv and whether he could tell the fortune Oh
mace bv means of his Photographic and other instru
,rents Whom the traveller explained that MIS-
corptrvmen were complete nnbehevers In anS suen
mn ger the official shook bis head gravey anu
MAINLY stated his firm belief in "fung-shuh Vi
wind and water rulers. ColQuhoun sank III lis
-.;,,,o, fro,u ths momeut be announced his incre-
~n,;tv IN r. oard TO peomancy. The provincial rui-
.rs Of China are fortunate in their oiilces. Etl-
ouette and rapacty join forces Tor their oenen' a"
the presents which the traveller Is obngeat 10 oes'
on each Prefect ana Sub-Preiect seriously 'aa n''
nur.e. To plumber and to Cypress are the guidlhg
-. os these gentry. shrewd old French priest
WIN has lived many years in Western CHINA haa
much to say in praise of the simple, honest. KIND
hearted aboriginal people, but in regard to the
governing class his verdict was that to DO a man
5ari, wa. to be a thief and brigana. Az ior tho
military mandarins: . They know now 10 XIII no'"-
ing more" said the old man.
The great curse of China as Colqunoun saw 1t IS
of course the eating of opium. Significant facs No
observed was that nearly all the mandarins no ho'
made their nrst inquiry as to whether ne naa any
European medicine forSthe cue OF tne craving ZOE
the drug Mandarins were constantly met oe'ns
carried in thei sedan chairs lying sank In heaVy
onium sleep. The hill-people are sodden body and
mind with the wretched drug, and Government IL
,,.aress 10 effect any reform. One OF the results
.s this practice is that the smoker, sleeping DE-
tween smokes during the day. cannot sleep ~ hieh''
Hs amus,s himself in reading or singing tne Verses
of the classical authors. and the traveller AT the
consequently suffers enforced wakeiulness INTO
the small hours.
Another misery of a journey in Chins 10 the pass
age through the plague-stricken villages "ho'e
there is not one sound mau. wo@an Oh ehiiu aou
where tho native attendants take no pains to'sive
he foreign deviln any warning of danger Their
comfortable careessness to his fate Is amnsingH
illustrated by a story which Mr.. Colquhoun tells )
+. 10 our establishment of our muleteers brought
ne a couple of mangoes and offered them 10 u.s.
There were two things to astonish rs IN this. "o
had seen no such thing as mango-tree SINCE ieaV-
inr the Canton River. and We had never been nc
eustomed to our Chiotung muleteers SHARING any
rh,pa with us We were remarklng ON tuis when
n second man came and brought MS nall dozen'
While we were busy eating and enjoying them
third came with an armfu At last they all came mp
loaded with the fruit which was SO refreshing
after the neat and toll IF the day. We ate as many
az wa eoula. and only then thought of asking the
meaning of their sudden TIT of unsenshness. in at
tending to us 50 carefully before helping them
selves. The solution was Chinese in its simplicity.
These manroes were reported to bring on violent
,pdi.position indeed 10 be almost fatat They were
only eaten by the Pal aud other savages" Inc
intense selfshness of the Chinese character
prompts each man to look ont for himself and not to
tronble himself aboat humanity OF his neignpor'
The want of proper food was another trouble which
Mr. Colquhoaa and his conipsnlon had TO contend
AGAINST. Toward the end of the journey they began
IN w
rice finds il ut frat insipid and Mt last so distasteful
that he can hardly bring himself eat it, even when
starving.
The French movements in Tonquin make Mr.. Col
ouhoun's chapters on the opening of British trade
routes through the adjacent provinces OF particular
interest. He proposes to extend through funnan
and the Shan provinces the system OF railways now
in sxistence in British BEruizh. lie points out how
rich already are the exports Of this last provinee
and gives o tempting picture OF the trade which
such Q railway extension would conduct INTO Eng
lsh cofferr The richest part OF Yunnan lies Oh she
side of British territory, the approach to 1t being
through the Shan country, and the Shan race beng
an Industrious friendly and essentially mercantile
oae. Yupnan. Mr.. Colquhouu shows, has not only
millions of people tv receive British manufactures
She can exchange for them enormous stores OF use
full aud precious metals, cotton, silk, petroleum
and tea This route would bring to the English
market the finest tea drunk In China, which II
called Pusrh tea and cultivated manly IN EBang
a district of the Shan coantry situated about hvt
DAYS south of the Yunnan frontier. The cost o.
carriage from that distant region il now 80 grea'
that when delivered at Shanghai its price ha
reached such an altitude that it cannot be exported
70 Europe or Russia. This tea. as Mr.. Colquhour
describes II, is delicious oeyond the imagination
the Western barbarian.
Our traveller who is civil engineer of ability,
strongly advises the opening up of these regions b.
tina British Government, and sees in the consequeot
extension of trade the best reward of his toisome
and uncomfortable journey The journey was, II
fact undertaken with the special purpose OF advanc
ing this project. and Mr.. CoIquhoun's figures an'
suggestions will doubtless prove tempting to tn
thrifty Briton who loves to turn his honest pennie
and who looks with jealous eye upon French Gu
terprise
Neu Duhlisdttnus