Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-12-08
J~OURNEYING IN a JUNK.
mETaODS OF TRAVELLING ON A
: RIVER IN CHINA.
The Laborious Work of .sTracktneN
Frightening Malicious Spirits
-China's Great CurSa

Rev. Virgil {. Hart, has written an
account Of a long journey made BIZ him
to the great centre Of Chinese Buddhism.
Mount Omel n West China. Several
hundred miles had to lie perfo. med bv
water, in q native junk, and most OF the
navigation consisted in the laborious
work of tracking. This method. avs
the New York IrIuue. is described bv
Mr. Hart in a lively way:
I'VE are near the right bank, aud
nave eighteen men on shore at the end
Of 300 feet Of bamboo rope The boat
veers first to one side, then to the other,
rocking backward and forward, while a
man sits by our cabin door, beating a
small drum as though his life depended
upon the number Of strokes per minute.
All IS confusion on board, while the
half-naked men on shore pull like mules,
jumping from rock to rock like cats.
One, more agile than the others,
Chambers upon sharp, rocky perks to
dlslodge the ~entangled rope, really at q
moments notice to cast aside his shirt,
his only garment, to plunge into a boil
ing rush and loosen the rope from a
sharp cutting reef. The men catch a
word and repeat in chorus for a minute,
then give a long and heavy groan, and
end with a short, sharp chuck chth."
"A man called the 'whipper' follows
the struggling team. whose duty it is to
urge them on at the difficult places; he
carries a bamboo stick and applies it to
the rope at the proper time, never or
seldom striking a man. lie sometimes
rushes ahead, kneels down and .kotows'
to the team, beats the ground, run back
and flies along the line as though he
would f1o9 every one; but his frantic
movements end in a few blows on the
taut rope. and several sharp yclls, which
are caught up by the frantic team, while
a few taps on the drum bring all this
eXuberance OF energy to an abrupt end"
Another curious custom, which has
Cor should have a special interest for
+ the American reader, because of its
bearing upon the Chinese mode of cele-
brating the anniversary of national IN
dependence we have adopted, is thus
described:
'Whenever we are to ascend a danger
Gus rapid-aHd nearly all are so consid-
cred by the native itinerary, and proba-
bly, are at certain seasons Of the ycar-a
boatmen brings out an old rusty four
barreled blunderbuss, rams the barrels
tull OF powder, picks IN fuses and stations
himself at the side Of the boat for the
most serious business connected with the
ascent. As the boat strikes the first fierce
breakers, one barrel is discharged into
the water; the gun is then dropped upon
the deck, and a sailor tugs for a while at
the ropes; when we have swung around
and ploughed and plunged sufficiently
with little progress, he drops his work,
whatever 1t may be, fires another fuse
and explodes the ha~lf,ouncc Of powder
into the foam; the third and fourth
chambers are likewise emptied if the
business il continued long enough.
"This may seem a curious and useless
custom to those u~naequalnted with the
Chinese ideas of ~demonology, but once
having mastered this branch of their
intricate religious system, it will appear
to be the most natural and necessary
proceeding. Malicious spirits are in and
around all dangerous places, and ready
to do all manner Of mischief. They can
be frightened by terrific sounds: ergo,
in passing all such spots the (hinaman
naturally yells, beats a gong, explodes
tire-crackers or powder in any form. AT
worship, at weddings, funerals, in times
of severe sickness, the greater the noise
the more likely the demons are to hide
themselves. The water is crowded with
such demons, and they are either fright
ened or propitialed by the boatmen."
The ascent of the Yang tse was full of
interest and variety. browning gergcs,
strong rapids. mountainous regions al
ternated with level plains and rolling
hills, clad with filth and forest and dot
ted with large villages, pagodas and
stately temples. Many of these latter are
situated high up on cliffs in the deep
gorges through which the river rolls, and
the extent of its food risingsl NAV be
gathered from inscriptions, cut on the
temples sometimes, to the effect that Sin
such and such a food, the water comeur
to here"-"here,' being frequently {
hundred Or more feet above the norma.
river level. One of the great curses OF
modern China (tbe opium habit, is thu:
illustrated by Mr.. Hart:
The sallow complexion of the people,
their emaciated forms and languid move
ments attract our attention everywhere
along the river. do not see a Leautifu
face or figure, nor a rosy cheek: a dead
49, SNtSt VI - ioNtS. oId dtlt
young, male and female. | look at til,
broad. swift river, l feel the cool, clcaI
breeze, | gaze at the high, green hills
the flowing ~rivulets and the Widespread
ing trees o~ver-hangipg the hamletS
Upon the mountain sides are houses aut
hundreds of workmen; approach ti4os,
busy laborers aud you will see this death
like pallor on all faces.
The 81 mate seems the acme Of per
fectlon-a long, pleasant summer, viii
q cool, agreeable autumn and bracin.
winter; yet there is want Of ene.g,an,
lHfe among the people. There is p.ent,
OF food AID of excellent quality for hin.
rice, wheat. III let, cas-. beans. corn
oils and fruits IF many varieties
within the means Of the huInblest Il
borer.
I enter a large field near a hamlet, !
the side Of q ,uxuriant growth Of ripea
ing wheat. Tie fed IS clean, not
! weed visible; but close toeetIcra and fsu
| feet high stand stalks with large Or
| heads. lrown aud dcaying now. r
. the bright flowers faded a month aue