The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-04-14
rte fAMENf RUNNERS.
ADVENTURES OF BIcYcLIST STEVENS
IN THE CHINESE EMPIRE.

I'm TIE CF1lNGSE EMFi0Cs
Saved from u HOw1ing City Mob by the
Services of the Yameni Runners-NOveI
Distinguishing Marks-An Explanation
Trip Through Ta-hO.
Taken all in all my tour through China.
was about the toughest bit of experience on
the whole journey around the world a
bicycle. Nothing is more certain than that
l should have persisted at the hands of some
bowling city mob in the interior except for
the good services of the yameni runners,
under whose protection l Travelled during the
last two weeks was in the country.
The yameni runners of China correspond
to the zaptiehs of Turkey and the sowars of
Persia, Afghanistan and other central AsiaH
countries Attached to the government of
every city or district are certain number Of
these yameni runners Their duty is to carry
dispatches, convey prisoners, protect prop
rty, act as escort and otherwise obey orders
u the service of the mandarins.
TWO WHITE BULLS EYES"
The yameni runners wear the ordinary
Chinese garments with the exception of the
coat, which is embellished with sundry dis
tinguishing appendages. The most prominent
Of these, and by which the yameni runner
may readily be distinguished from other peO-
Die as far as can be seen, are two big white
bulls eyes," one on his back and the other
n front. These round white patches
lbout eighteen inches in diameter and are
marked with big red characters which indi-
cate the district the wearer belongs to.
The real object of these large disks of white
is to form fitting ground work for the con-
soicuous display of the characters. The Eu-
opean residents of the treaty ports, how
sver, facetiOusly call them "bulIs eyes," and
account for their adoption as follows:
A Chinese soldier can never under any
circumstances, hit the bulls eye of a target.
Observing this and in their egotism believ-
.ng that what the celestial warriors couldn't
10 the soldiers of no other country could,
Uhe authorities conceived the idea of attach
ing BULLS eyes, front and rear, to the yameni
,unners, so that, in case of war, if the sol
1iers fired at them, they would be sure to
miss their mark.
Whatever the explanation, a squad of
yameni runners drawn up in line present to
the foreigner very grotesque and amusing
spectacle Looking at them front or rear
they present the appearance of a row of hui
man targets, with big, white bulls eyes in
the center. AT the back the long dangling
cue sewers the white disk in half with black
streak.
AN ESCORT OF RUNNERS.
The first time 1 was favored with an escort
OF yamenl runners was at the city of Ta-hO
place Of some Importance in the province
of kiang tSi. The mandarin at Ta-ho sent
an escort Of two with me to guide me to the
next city, days march distant This city
was Kin-ngan-foo, and in its narrow
crowded streets, by hurrying me along the
nearest way to the yamen, or official quarter
the two yameni runners rescued me from an
infuriated mob, bent on the diabolical pur-
pose OF burning me alive.
As wheeled slowly through the gate of
the high brick wall that surrounded the city
of Ta-ho, trotting along ahead of me was a
linn young yameni runner, with short bam-
100 spear. He was bareheaded, barefooted
md barelegged. In the poverty of his APP
parel and the all around contempt of per-
sonal appearance and cleanliness one could
plainly read the total absence of individual
ambition.
In striking contrast to him was the dandi-
fed individual who brought up the rear,
about ten PAGES behind the bicycle He like
wise was a yameni runner, but of superior
'ank. Instead of a bamboo spear with
rusty head, he carried oil paper parasol,
bright red article, ornamental with blue
characters and gold gilt Chinese ladies'
olden lilies with tiny feet
Besides this elaborate article he rejoiced
in the possession of both hat and shoes. AS
soon as we got well away from the walls of
articles, and giving them to his comrade to
carry, trotted along behind me in his bare
feet.-Golden Days.