The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-05-28
A COUNTRY TRIP IN CHINA.
Miss Kate L. Schaener Writes verv
welcome Letter From New Field.

Hollow, HAINAN, China, April 10
DEAR EDITOR:-I have just returned
from trip into the country, and if you
will kindly allow me little space in
your paper, (Which is welcome week
ly visitor to me) perhaps some of my
friends might be interested in hearing
something of the experiences incident
to life in China.
Our destination was Bun Zip village,
twenty miles southeast of Hollow. We
chose that place for change from the
winters work, because our mission is
well known there. Two of the young
men are christians and a number of
others are specially friendly. On the
morning of April 2 we set out: Miss
Montgomery and on horseback, our
good old bible woman on wheel
barrow, Mr.. Jeremiassen's servant,
Attn, afoot, and two wheelbarrow
men. One man wheeled the bible
woman, the other had our baskets,
which contained bedding, some stores
and our clothes.
/ am partial to the American, indie
pendent way of travelling and such a
retinue is very annoying, though in
dispensable to progress in China. The
road or path was paved with rough
stones part of the way, while other
parts were stony without being paved;
then there were two rivers to be
crossed. However, the day was just
cloudy enough to be pleasant, our
Chinese company started off in high
spirits, and we were happy to be out
breathing the fresh country air of the
gradually elevating plain.
The first river was crossed without
difficulty, we in ferry boat, the
horses swimming. The next one was
| wide and so shallow that it took the
efforts of six men to get our boat near
enough to the bank so that the men
could carry us on their backs dry shod
to land. Delays in crossing the last
river and the increasing WEAKNESS OF
our barrowmen caused us to be over
taken by darkness at a small market
|
The barrowmen refused to go on, and
previous experience on Chinese road
after dark made us all the more ready
to consent to put up at an inn.
This being the year of the large lit
erary examinations, we met many stu
dents on their way to Kiung Chow, the
chief city of the island. About ten or a
dozen of these stopped in the same inn
with us. We retired to our room soon
after entering and had the boy bring
us some bowls of hot rice, which with
condensed milk constituted our supper.
The students, who had not seen for
eigners often before, if at all, followed
Attn to the door of our room to get a
peep. Attn has ideas of propriety and
when he had left us he told the would
be spectators that it was not proper
doctrine for them to come and look at
us. At this they called him slave
and asked him what right a slave had
to teach doctrine to literary people. A
scuffle then ensued, which called us
out, and the students Immediately re-
turned to their supper and wine, telling
us not to mind. We did mind, however,
and warned them to let Attn alone.
The latter was very much offended at
| the attack and wished us to let him
return to Hollow that night and ask
Mr.. Jermiassen to have the officials
take those students in custody. The
affair did not look so serious to us, es-
pecially as we knew A tin had saved
his face" by standing out alone against
the whole company of puny, long fin
ger nailed students.
After supper Attn went, unbeknown
to US, to Bun Zip village, his home, and
five strong men returned with him,
calling on US at midnight and placing
themselves at our disposal. When we
argued that the students had treated
us we'll, they said: " If they strike your
servant they strike YOU" One tall
fellow, A-hai, who has been with Mr..
Jermiassen on many of his tours over
the island, stood before us in the dim
light of a Chinese lantern, his head
wrapped out with huge cloth, turban
fashion, and said: ~ know that you
must forgive your enemies and teach
them to be better, but how can you
teach them unless you first catch
th6m?" Our friends finally consented
to retire for the night without doing any
thing. The next morning the students
were scarcely to be seen. Two of them
were out attending to their baggage
and the rest had not dared to emerge
from their rooms, while the ringleader
had fed the night before.
We were greatly amused at their
discontinue and appreciated the gall
lantry of the young men who took that
night walk up from their village to offer
themselves to us for our protection,
though suspect their clannish desire
to thrash the students on A-tin's ac-
count had much to do with it. The