Wichita eagle., 1888-11-15
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9ai1y eagle
TRAVELLING In CHINA.
HOW NATIVES AS WELL AS TOUR
ISIS ARE TRANSPORTED.
No Railroads. and Why They Are Not Per-
mitted to Be Constructed-The Dead in
Their Graves Object to the Innovation.
Wheelbarrows Propelled by Sails.
Especial Correspondence.

Their Graves Object to the Innovation.
Wheelbarrows Propelled by Sails.
Especial Correspondence
SAN Francisco, Oct 25-It had been the
dream of my life to travel in foreign lands
and see and study the races Of men in their
natural and home surroundings Particu-
larly keen was my desire to visit the Orient
and trace the source of ideas and beliefs
which have practically controlled the human
race in all its history. Ipreferred to get my
information at first hands. AS a chemist
reaches more accurate conclusions after ex-
periments and tests in his laboratory, so
wished to study, at the fountain head, the
nature and source of the traditions handed
down through the generations.
When, therefore, an opportunity offered l
gladly availed myself of it. and embarked
for sojourn in China | had a rather crude
conception Of tho nature and requirements of
such journey across the continent and the
Pacific ocean into the heart Of Asia The
overland trip from New York to San Fran
cisco is made in seven days, and is attended
with nothing out of the ordinary incidents of
railroad travel
To me, however, the trip from Omaha was
the "cow catcher" in front Of the locomotive,
the scenery on the plains and from the crest
Of the Rockies to the Sacramento valley was
source Of great enjoyment.
An ocean voyage is no longer a novelty
The weary rounds Of morning, noon and
night come and go for twenty-one days,
with bat little to break the n1onotony Not
a sail was sighted from San Francisco to
Yokohama, and but for an occasional school
of whales sending up little sheets Of spray,
with now and then a huge devil fish, and
wandering sea birds, nothing transpred to
break the monotony of the ever rolling
restless sea
Our ship, one of the Pacific Mail com
pany's best, was a miniature world as it
noated upon the trackless ocean.
We had on board about 1900 human
beings, representing many races and classes
of men.
There was was an admiral of the United
States navy with his staff of officers, brass
buttons and all, on their way to assume COM
mand Of the American feet in the Asiatic
waters. There were consuls, German,
French and American, bound for various
Japan and Chinese stations; Japanese
students returning home from American
colleges; a party of Yale graduates off
for a lark around the world, with
all the show and buster of preten-
tious ''globe trotterB;' pious women and
men seeking to extend their faith in places
where it was not; merchants going after
curiOS and wares to cater to the craze for the
antique in art and decoration: party Of
American sportsnen bound for India to hunt
tigers and other wild animals; and last, but
most numerous, about LOO Chinese, who
were staking Denis Eearney'S advice and
"Coing' back to the land of their birth
Some Of these were broken in health and
spirits and were going hsmc to die, Three
died on the voyage; their bodies were en-
balmed and put into cofins made to order
by the ships carpenter, and placed in the
small boats hanging suspended over the rail
ing of the ship forward. All vessels engaged
in trans-Pacific traffic carry a physician.
embalming apparatus and coffin maker for
the benefit OF dead Cinnamon. If a ship
should bury single Celestial at sea, that
ship would never carry another Chinese pas
senGer
Many hundreds of these swarthv yellow
SIX nned men had their pockets lined with
yellow gold coin. They wore diamonds and
carried fine gold watches; no people are more
fond of such display. These men bad toiled
fer years in abandoned "dir-ings;n some
had peddled vegetables and fish through the
back streets of San Francisco and other
cities, and others had polished up soiled
linens for men and women inferior in in
stinctS to themselves They had all been
looked down upon. and in various American
cities, as pagan coolies. Soon they were to
be homo again and looked up 10 by envious
neighbors as capitalists and gentlemen of ele-
CANT leisIrei DGt Judging from their appear
Rnce, it made little difference to them now.
They were the personification of contentmenR
Only let them hear the clnking of the yel-
low coins in their capacious trousers pock-
ets and for all the world beside they mo
givee dance"
Thus [ amused myself during the voyage
In studying the men slowed away in the
gangways amidships.
AT daybreak on the morning of the twenty
second day we sighted japan. The snow
capped crest of Fujiama, an extinct vol
cano Of magnificent proportions, stood out
against the horizon, some 5000 feet above
the sea and some sixty miles inland. 1t is the
Joy and pride OF every loyal son of Japan. The
small black eyes Of a recent graduate of an
Ohio college fairly danced in their sockets as
they sazed upon this mountain. at whose
feet was the home OF his childhood.
But without stopping at Japan. or attempt
ing here any description of that most delight
ful spot of earth l have yet seen, change
ships," leaving tho Pacific Mail, bound for
Hong Kong, and take passage on one of the
Mitsi Bitsi line for China.
Our ship is the old Golden Gate, which had
piled between San Francisco and Panama
way back in 40 And she had at one time
been sunk, think at the Golden Gnte," or
entrance To the bay of San Francisco. She
was afterwards raised and rebuilt and sailed
in Chinese waters until sold to the japanese
When passed through the inland sea and
across the yellow sea- to Shanghai upon her
She was called ''Jokia Naru-"
In eight days after leaving Yokohama we
cast anchor early in the forenoon OF the
mouth OF the WooSung river at the approach
TO Shanghai The yellow, muddy waters of
the Yang -tSe- klang had met US many miles
out in the China sea and had acted as escort
into the jurisdiction Of the yellow da5, both
no doubt symbolcal in color of the general
complexion Of the people and al their be
iongingS-that Of yellow mud
We came IN as the tide went out and hence
cast anchor TO await the incoming tide and
enable tie ship to pass the bar. y mile or SO
to our left low coast line, dotted here and
there with huge mud forts and willow trees,
gave Us our first view of the middle king
dom"
Soon scores Of ''sam-pans" rowed out and
surrounded our ship. These crude boats. as
they rose and fell with the restless waters,
contained a medley Of merchandise and ces-