The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-21

An Engiishman. John Foster Fraser.
has reached New York with two COM
panions after two years tour of the
world. To a reporter for the Sun he gave
this account of their travels:
We left London on July II, 1896. We
went by way of Harwich. across to Ant
werp and Brussels. King Leopold in
vited us to spend a day at his palace
with him and we did so. The king rides
a tricycle.. We suggested that he should
join on our trip. but ne seemed to
think that the country could not get
along very well without him / have not
many kings in my acquaintance. but /
like Leopold. Usually. You know. you
think of a king as a piece OF statuary
wearing robes and a crown. with a can
non ball in one hand and a poker in the
other, or something of that sort. Leo
poId we found to be just nice old fellow
in a straw hat. We went at a good pace
across Germany. by the Prime. and we
found the people all good fellows, whose
chief nutrition is beer, the Bible and
horseradish-
Next came Austria had an interest
ing time at Vienna. The people there. and
| in Europe generally. are much more DEM
| onstrative than they are here. Well.
what / mean is that when we reached
America and our trip was all over and
We felt as If We had done something any
/ how, you know. all that was said to US as
We came along was: Where are you
| chaps from? That so? No IieS2' In
! Vienna we had carriages and pairs and all
/ kinds Of attention We telegraphed ahead
for our accommodations. and when we ar
| rived our rooms outside were decorated
/ laVishly with the Austrian flag on one
| side. the Hungarian flag on the other and
. - T-E, g.
cycles We're decorated with flowers by the
leading citizens of the town. We found
them in the morning with punches Of
| flowers and the Hungarian coIOrs tied to
! them. We did not know who had done
! It until after we had asked a hundred
questions. 1 will always keep those coll
ors as souvenirs. 1 rode out of Budapest
| with them. and did not take them of until
| We reached Roumania-
| I'm Russia we had troubles. We found
the people suspicious Once we were car
ried bodily before the local police. and
| after getting released the police escorted
| US out Of town TO prevent our being hurt
by the suspicious common people 10
, whom foreigner is an enemy. We ex-
perienced a hard time all across Russia.
| stopping at novels and living chiefly on
eggs. After you have lived on eggs every
meal for ten days you will have an an
| tipathy for hens as much as we had and
then you VIII understand. I did have a
great deal OF sympathy with the perSe-
cuted Jews and common people of Rus
! STA. under tyrant rule until | met them
! in the flesh
Before we got across the real estate
| owned by the Car we were attacked by
Cossacks or threatened with attack. Five
| of them on horses rode across hill in
front of US and motioned for US 20 stop
| We got out our revolvers and began to let
| them ping away, shooting AT the sun. you
know. SO that they could hear and know
that We were businesSIike. They did not
carry firearms. evidently. for they fore
gathered and rode away. We thought
that they were going either after guns
and ammunition or reinforcemenls. 50 We
rode as hard as We could The road was
bad and We could not go fast, but we saw
| no more of the COssacks.
I'm spite of our experience with eggs
| in Russia, when We first reached China
not one of US knew the word for eggs,
and several times we told what We want
ed by crouching with our launches near
the floor. tapping our arms like wings.
| and jumping UP. saying. -cOck-a-doOdle-
! doc A hen does not say cock-a-doOdle-
doc A hen does not say 'cock-a-dOOdIe-
more expressive and made them under
stand quicker than any 'cut-cut-ca-dark
al that We could render. We went over
| the Caucasus Mountain, which is a dread
| full thing TO do. and through Armenia
| We did not go to see the ark on top of
| Ararat The traditional Garden OF Eden.
at the foot OF Ararat. I saw, and thought
il was as desolate a hole as any We had
| struck.
In Persia We were stoned for being
Christians. I never before realized 50
forcibly the fact that l was a Christian
| In
known and used, We met the late Shah
| of Persia NaSr-i-din, al Teheran. the
| capital. and after seeing US ride, he or
dered a number of bicycles for his min
| listers of state We rode for one of the
ministers around and around different
paths of a garden until We came TO big
step high as your waist almost What he
wanted was TO see US go over 1t or fall
They have a peculiar sense of humOr
! there The ministers could not ride nor
could the Shah. and I think the Shah
! wanted them 20 have bicycles simply for
the fun of seeing them tumble OF the
way the guard officers did whom we tried
TO teach.
Across India we had M gnlficent rid
ing. The roads are perfect there. In
| Burmah, though we struck the jungle
and relapsed into savagery. Next 10 scru-
pu!ous cleanliness the human beng en-
Joys absolute uncleaRliness. We got il in
Burmah | went five months without a
shave. The Burmese and Chinese are a
| most curious people. They do not see
anything as others do. | own map OF
| the world drawn in China and il will in
, forest you tc know that America IS not
on il They asked US there whether we
had a sun like theirs where We lived. and
whether we had rivers and grass and
| trees. The only money that we found In
weston China were the cash coins that
they carried on strings. the cord running
. through the square hoe in the center
Our money we had in silver bullion and
we exchanged 1t by weight for hotel bills
or a string of cash coins We had II TED
with rope around OUT waists. We were
: l51 days crossing China, travehns 5.V0u
miles In the first 1.S9o miles we Wdikeo
about 200 we never had a ride OF five
clear miles without dismount wnie IN
, China I can advise any '1ank VINO
wants to go on a holiday to stay away
. from western China. Japan is a wheel
, mans paradise. There we found no
, tr,,rbJa: nothing but pleasure
aF,rOru San Francisco we Wneeied mere
Batwaen the coast and Omaha we rods
7OO miles on railroad tracks. or between
Them Next to the Chinese. the Amerf-
cans are the most inquisitive people 1T
, | ~ World There are three questions
every Yankee asks: Are you doing IL OF
, | n wager? How much did II cost you
Don't YOU think America the hneSl
> | country YOU ever struck l won't tel
, vo,, row we answered them We rode
. | across the American continent with
| small American flag and a small EnSllSr
lack side by side on each of our wheels
and not one native in a hundred knew