New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29

less civilized than the lowlanders. To-day, 40
cording to Mr.. James, the Manchurian population
Is about two-thirds Chinese but these, though the
majority. are strongly tincturcd With Manchu
manners and customs, and differ materially from
their fellows on the other side OF the great wall
Mr.. James had plenty Of hardship to contend
with in his extended journey through this little
known region, but the people were In general
unite friendly and the authorities civil and often
helpful this latter effect being due to the strong
credentials of the travellers The chief difficulties
encountered werc those arising from On almost
uniformly bad administration. II would not. per
haps, be fair to imputc the execrable state Oh al
tho roads to the prevalence Of Official corruption,
for il must be remembered that century and
half ago there was not country in Europe which
possessed decent, practicable highways, and that
to this day the standard Of roadmahng set oy
the Romans has been passed, II indeed it has
ever been attained In the Middle Ages Chinese
conservatism and Chinese indifference to what
is now called comfort and convenience produced
everywhere in the Old World conditions OF neg
lect, filth, insanitation such we now wonder
at when they are met in halfcivilized countrica
Yet we need not 60 so far back that to discover
parallels to the China and Manchuris of the
uniformly bad administration. 1t would not per,
Colleagues" vivid pictures Of the difficulties OF
travel in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
His minute accounts Of continental inns moreover,
prove that for downright nastinoss and pggish-
ness those Europesn hostelries must have far ex-
ceeded the worst examples mentioned by Mr.
James. Indeed this traveller does not appear to
have found the Manchuriar inns very dirty. We
Judge from his remarks that as rule they are
decidedly better kept than similar houses in China
though it must be said that the Chinese of to-day,
however Indifferent to the odors amid which they
live, and to the crowding OF their domioiles, are
personally very much oleanlier than were even
the aristocracy of France England, Germany and
Italy as recently as the close of the sixteenth
century; As to the common people Of that period,
the conditions in which they existed may be
imagined from the frequency and virulence OF the
epidemics which scourged and decimated them.
Considerations of this kind did not however.
render progress over Manchuran swamps and
ouagmires any the easier, and it must have been
no coin but the copper or brass
cash, which represents the fractional part of cent
and any considerable payment, consequently,
necessitates the employment of cart or wheel
row. In practice large exchanges are effected in
silver, which Ii cast in clumsy triangular Jumps
called shoes The weight Of shoe varies with
the locality however and therefore there Is never
any certainty. For smaller transactions pieces
of silver cut from the shoes used, scales being
Of course Indispensable to the completion Of every
bargain; and since scales are as apt TO differ as
thermometers clocks, the margin for illegiti
mate gains land losses is clearly formidable
Trade is greatly restricted by the difficulties Of
transportation and also of exchange, the move
ment Of heavy goods being practically feasible
only in the winter when the marshy roads are
frozen hard. 1t is encouraging TO learn from Mr..
James that in foreign importations American
goods are taking the lead, and that as regards
cotton fabrics, sheetings, etc. this is due to the
superior quality of the articles, which are driv
ing the English wares out Of the Manchur.an
markets.
We have spoken OF the language and the lack
Of transportation as hindrances ~ progress but
there is an intangible factor in the case which is
not less miscbievous. This is the Feng-Shui, a
Chinese superstition growing out of the Monaghan
,orruptions of Buddhism 1t springs from the old
belief in the influence Of the elements upon human
destiny, and has been annexed to ancestor-wor-
ship in complicated way. When man
lies he must DO so buried that
.he Feng-Shui win be favorable; that
Is to say, the elemental influences. Feng means
wind" and Shut water The object is so
to locate the tomb that tho atmospheric and
watery bearings of it will be such as to react
favorably upon the family Of the deceased. This
superstition has created q regular body Of
geomanters, who are consulted about the placing
Jf graves. Hills and streams must be situated
N certain prescribed relations to the place Of the
burial, and it is the Feng-Shui doctrine which |
stands so obstinatey in the way of railroad |
building and many other civilizing measures. The
religion Of the Manchurians is a mixture Of Budd-
lism, Confucianism and Taocism. with strong |
lash of that peculiar animalworship which pre- |
vails or did prevail until recently. in Japan. |
The resemblance between the f0x-worship OF |
Manchuria and that of Japan is very curious, |
md ought to prove the clew to interesting prob
ems Of othnology and religion. In Manchura.
however, ccrcmonialism is everything the people
1t large having no spiritual creed, and, indeed,
little intellectual vitality.
They possess rich and fertile country. It |
lbounds with mineral deposits, and has enough |
sold coal, iron, etc, TO furnish O mighty empire
With revenues. At present little mining is done,
through superstitious objections. It is, in fact
though the law is frequently broken
With impunity. favOrite occupation Is the quest
If the wild ginseng root, and it IS TO be
egretted that Mr.. James has not more
ully exploited this plant, 20 which
ucn fenlarbApie properties are eBcribed BY
)rientals. That the belief in its virtues is real
he enormous prices-s200 TO $500 a single root
aid for it testify. 1t is theoretically az imperial
monopoly, but any one can procure u who is will
ng to pay enough. The cultivated ginseng is
eld to be altogether inferior and sells proper
ionately low. Among the practical results OF
his journey was the discovery that chain of
now-covered mountains inserted In a recent map of
be ROYAL Geographical Society has no existence-so
title has hitherto been known Of the country.
he ascent by Mr.. james and his party of the
ireat White Mountain also showed that the ele-
atoms assumed BY gcographers have been alto
ether excessive. 1t is also settled that the White
fountain owes its name to the white pumice-stone
Thich was elected from its crater when it was an
ctive volcano, and which now covers its upper
arts, and has been mistaken for snow by tray.
llers and the people generally.
Mr.. James gives much Interesting information
bout the work of the Presbyterian and Roman