Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-14

significant facts of the far east that to get to
| French possession there you must go in either
an English or a German boat, with the single
| exception of the Messageries Maritimes. So
| as soon we have crossed the restless Gulf of
Tongking and are in sight of low-lylng green
and evidently fertile country, wholly different
at first sight from the rocky and forbidding
coast OF China, Capt Hundewadt hoists the
German flag and the pilot comes off. There
are two bars, one hard. which must not be
touched. and the other soft mud. upon which
one can rush at full speed and either get over
| or stick, as the case NAV be. We stick.
OFF HAIPHoNa.
Within gunshot Of us, as we lie in the mud,
is large white European house, built OH the
point of an elevated promontory 1t is the
summer house Paul Bert built for himself just
before death put an end to all his plans and am
billions for Tongking. 1t has never been oc-
cupied and the government Is now thinking of
turning 1T into a sanitarium for the force near
the coast. Once over the bars we steam mile
or two up the river. past half dozen odd
looking river gun boats and drop anchor off
Haphong. This country has been visited by
no foreign journalist since Messrs. Colquhoun,
Cameron, Scott and Col. Glider followed the
French troops here in 1884. and things nave
changed good deal since then. Haiphong is
now pretty little town, with excellent broad
streets planted with trees on each side, with
spacious Ware houses and solid wharves. with
one boulevard of extensive shops, many pleas
ant bungalows and
AN ASTONISHING HOTEL.
A club is building and at 6 o'clock the hotel
cafe holds hundred people. taking their pre-
prandial drink. To see them it is difficult to
realize that you are at the other end of the
earth from Paris, and have never come across
better illustration of the saying that a
Erenchmnn EnG xvifh n ha
goes. The business part of the town consists
OF several crowded streets of Chinese houses,
and the native town, which is miserable and
very dirty. lies on the other side of narrow
creek. There is an excellent bi-weekly paper,
Ire Courier dHdtphOng and almost every char
acteristlc of a French town, including the duel,
which hourishes greatly in Tongking. Not a
little money and much intelligent labor have
been expended to transform the original mala-
rious swamps into this bright and pleasing
little town, reminding one of Algiers. with
Its broad green and white stseets and blazing
sunshine. But fear that both the labor and
the money must be looked upon as little better
than wasted. For the moment. however, am
only trying to picture the country it is.
UP THE RED RIVER.
There is nothing to detain one in Haiphonp
An afternoon is enough to see it all. So next
morning at go on board a big, powerful
twin-screw steamer, lie Tigre for the trip to
Ii.
hundred miles up the Red river. The nav-
CATION is extremely difficult in places, owing
to the mud banks and sharp turns, but the
twin-screw and the Chinese pilot between
them manage every twist but one. There is
no European captain, only purser, and the
Chinaman IS apparently in sole command.
stack of Snider rifles stands in the sa-
loon and plate of half-inch iron is sus-
pended on each side of the pilot and the two
men at the wheel completely shielding them
hnllata fro tbn chnra w. h.,
capital breakfast, and charming French
priest in Chinese dress and pigtail who is re-
turning to his inland station in China via Tong
king tells US string after string of adventures
and incidents OF his work among the Celestials.
For hours the trip Is monotonous. The banks
are flat the country is always green and fertile
the water buffaloes wallow In the mud enor-
nous tocks of teal rise in front of us every few
minutes and l divide my time between Pierre
Lofts 'Propos d'Exil" and Pere Grandpierre
At o'clock
DIVERSION COMES.
1t is little post of soldiers half way be-
tween the seaboard and the capital. The
steamer comes slowly alongside the high bank.
plank is thrown out and the garrison invites
us on shore. They are an officer, two non
commissioned officers. half dozen privates.
and about fifty native troops. The post is a
strongly stockaded little place hundred wards
from the river, well able to keep off anv ordl-
garrison Is q SOr.y-lOOklnp
lot. The officers are in pajamas and the mems
old thick blue and red French uniforms are only
recognizable by their shape, nearly all the
color having long departed Their coats are
patched. their trousers are torn and ragged.
their boots are split. As for their faces an;smia
OF the most pronounced character is written
plainly across them. have never seen such a
ragged and worn lot of soldiers wonder
whether this is a necessary feature of the diff
ficult occupation Of all savage countries, and
whether shall find the same state of things
among the English troops in Upper Burmah
If so, pity them beforehand. The arrival of
the daily steamer is the only distraction of the
little force and they were profusely grateful for
bundle OF illustrated papers. We also gave
them a little more diversion By running
aground just opposite their post when we left.
AT HANOI
The steamer reaches Hanoi at midnight. The
only hotel is closed, vigorous hammering at the
door produces no effect whatever, and am be-
ginning to contemplate the prospect of spend
ing the night in the street when jolly captain
Of artillery comes past. evidently fresh from a
good dinner shows me back way into the
hotel, and even accompanies me, because as
he explains, probably do not vet know how to
treat the natives. Certainly if he did did not,
although his method was simplicity ITSELF We
discovered six "boys" sleeping sounder than I
ever saw human beings sleep in my life on a
table in the dining room. With one shove he
pitched the whole lot in a heap on the floor
and as they even then showed unmstakable
symptoms of an intention to finish their nap as
they lay piled up on one another he fell to
work on the heap with his cane SO vigorously
that he soon had them scampering all over the
room like nest Of disturbed rats ..Tas de CO.
chons," he said, and resumed his homeward
way.
STRANGE CAPITAL.
Like every city of the far east, so far as nv
experience goes, Hanoi is less interesting than
you expect. The foreign town, of 439 inhabit-
ants is little more than one street named. of
course. after Paul Bert and even that is dis
figured by narrow, irregular tramway running
down the middle and carrying military stores
all day long. There is small lake in the CEN
ter OF the city, with a curious islet and pagoda
that gives one pretty point of view, and the
ride around the walls Of the citadel a square
mile or of inclosed land, is interesting for
once. And the "Pont de Balny," where the
Inflated Riviere met his fate SO wretchedly on
the afternoon of May 10, 1888, with the tiny
pagoda just behind it where the brave Balny
disappeared is historically impressive if one
has the whole story Of that day in mind But
Hanoi makes poor showing as the capital of
Tongkng. The Hotel Alexandra is the worst
l ever set foot in, bar none. The monuments
are second to those of an ordinary Chinese
town.
THE ADVENT OF THE FOREIGNER
has killed native art and handicraft, without
contributing anything to replace it. You may
n IL. Al