New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-30
A NATURALIST IN CHINA.
COLLECTING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

il n. =
LOngmans, Green q 10
Mr Pratt, is an English naturalist and col
,ector daunted by no difficulty. Ills STORY Vi
dangerous eHp,oration in China he tells WIN 'n0
most modest simplicity. evidently thinking ho'ic
=, the courage, patience. energy and ingenuity
18th which he surmountcd many obstacles anu
,.,;Is T. WAS in search Of an unworked heio' VI
~. comparatively unworked, that he proceedeo
IN 1897 10 the East intending to ascend ,iie
Wang -Kiang and make collections along INC
ho,ders Of Tibet He took his wife and chloreh
Nth him. Manning TO leave them at lchang' 'he
last treaty port on the river, while ne coh'i'ueu
his expeditions into the hills. On MS way :"
This town he stopped at Kiu-kiang. near which
,,.ce his soul was rejoiced by finding hne
r.w snecies of crotaline snake. Having secured
Al, the mecimens of this poisonous creature he
v.nted he declined to purchase another OF
Chinese collector. who therupon threw 1t among
n, Pratt's children on the veranda. with 'ile
Io.sant nurpose of seeing one or more OF tnem
bitten. The reptile, however, was caught ana
killed before it had time to do any marin. no
n.r;al snirit manifested by this Chinaman MI.
Pratt encountered throughout his journey anN
only the most indomitable tact and deterniinauoA
carried him through the bitterness eu'Pio'o
and preudce that surrounded him. AIi'c"
M Ichang he found it impossible al hrs' " oD'ai"
n house in which his family could i've "A. vie
end Of a fortnight he rented what was c'4ieu -"
Chinese house. Himsy barn, with mud walls
~ narthep Aoor. and an adjacent oesspool, whose
oontents were replenishcd Dolly from the Guy
and stirred I'D every evening in the process ol
to,t,l;zinr n Garden opposite The Chinese ooy
"a, ,vnhoid fever, and then the Pratts hreo
,,ousehoat and lived in it on the river unoA coiu
E,oather came. During this time our naturail9'
wade exnlorations among the wild and beautiiui
,orres and precipices of the region, daily aooiiis
20 bs valuable collections The hill Cmnese' he
notes are the most daring Of mountaineers' ciiuio-
inc cliffs nearly perpendicular, and nnolhe iooV
boId IN lodges only few inches VIDE, wiVh d
sbeer drop of perhaps hundreds OF ieev ~.
chem If break occurs IN the ieoge. NIL
PIT. coollv adds. "and there should hapP'a
Or ha anv vegetation over their heads, they VII,
~. h.s,tate 70 seize it with their hands anu
.Yino themselves over the gap" or course 'neS
often lose their lives in the process.
NJ PRATT was at Ichang at the Chlnese nc"
year and notes, among other thlhgs' '""V 90
This time all monetary settlements are coho'u"ou'
and sbould a Chinese find himself uhaoie " P"s
his debts he is apt to promptly cohii'io eui0l
thus evincing tenderness OF "ohor 4" w.
,,or q, few other races can rival him. In super
c<3
Ornosite the English settlement there Is hli
- .h.,- ;mao,ned for some reason would prlhg
,,,.h ~ tho foreirners": therefore they diverted
,he curren. OF luck by building an expensive JOSS
go ON another hill at the back OF the set
.,srr.rt taking pains that the top OF the JOSS
houe. shonld be higher than the English hlli' anu
90 transfcrrinc the good luck to their ciY'
Ar,., exbausting the scientific resources Oh 'he
country near Ichang Mr.. Pratt began 10 Piaho
,onsar expeditions For these the hrst thine W
no considered was money, and this he was oohgeu
90 csrrv in the form Of heavy copper CASH.
silver not being available among such pooi
,eople He records the fact that II ch"nso u
silver tacl was wanted, one might nave 70 scnu
70 a village half days journey OIL u se' ~
The weight Of the cash" waA great, ana 'iiis
With his necessary travelling gear, made loads lor
ettaen coolies ON one of these journeys. wherever
ba went the naturalist employed NUMBERS VI
the natives as collectors and helpers, PAID them
n-omntlv and literally, and was, 1t Is easy "
see. uniformly Just and kind Nothing ho"e.~'
served 10 mollify their feelings toward 1he LOT
e,on DEVILS and at one place he was oroereu W
lcave and seriously threatened on ohe gr'uhu VI
bringing bad luck to the disuict. ~ was me-
that one of his men, while engaged III ooHco"Ae
some insects, happened TO damage rev Shoo'S Vi
growing Indian corn. All oiu wilma" -
,socan IN storm at the unfortunate collector, ana
s,uon crowd gathering. Mr. Pratt found himself
oh,;cod to nav 9. 900 taels for damage, to the
omount Of $50 cash. Extortion OF the most OUT
rao.ous kind. mud-throwing and insults, were the
ordinary incidents of his explorations. The most
ovo;,nr nortion of his book describes his journeys
,hrouch the gorges of the Yang-tze and up to
tho Tttleknown western hills on the Tibetan
fro5t,er Boats are worked up the river by means
of tracking ropes the only paths for the truckers
heno sometimes 100 feet above the water ana
barely eighteen inches wide. The river running
between these magnificent gorges Is full OF rapids
and extremely dangerous for Doats. Az one Piao0
ON the river shower Of stones assaied the boat.
which was. happily, soon drawn beyond tho reach
of the rapidly Increasing mob. Here the traV
elier received message from the chlel authority
of the town requesting him not to approach nearer,
as the triennial examinations were going on ana
, q 600 students had come in for them. These
learned gentlemen are particularly averse to tho
rrescpce of foreign devils, and generally manifest
their sentiments by personal violence OF many
unn,eosant kinds. On these journeys Mr.. Pratt
and his German assistant wore Chinese clothes
including an artificial pigtail secured inside the
cap-and had their heads shaved comfort ana
loss attention from the mob were the results
7 ok of nourshing food was one OF their most
serious drawbacks--to live for months on corn
meal cakes, rice and eggs with only an occasional
fowl or bit Of gamc is not conducive TO strength
and exertion. Even plentiful supply OF wild
did not soothe the longing for some
thing more substantial. Mr. Pratt by the way.
SAYS of the peaches and apricots, which bear well
in Western China, that the fruit Is piuckeu ana
eaten green by the Chinese. and the foreign resi-
-. ,<c Mi Ell
At some Of the larger towns Mr.. Pratt found
missionaries. French. English or American. TO
whose kindness and helpfulness he owes much
He saws, concerning the devotion OF the French
missionaries to the cause Of their religion, thao no
work Is too hard for them. no living too poor
" They are not deferred by epidemics OF sickness
II.a,-h aco ilnlC de-