Evening star., 1900-09-25
RUSSlA'S FAR EAST OUTPOST
TOWN OF yLADIvOsTOCK IN NORTH
ERN MANCHURIA.
The Terminus of the Great Siberian
Railway-Site Akin to That of
Athens or Naples.
From Travel.

lcFtluty nave Deen so neglected Dy tHe nu-
man race as the densely wooded district Of
northern Manchuria. During the thirteenth
century few thousand Tartar fugitives,
driven from their comfortable homes in
China by the irresistible hordes of Kublai
Khan, entered the country from the south,
and, gradually recruiting their strength in
it's remote valleys, formed new race, one
of the most hardy and warlike in Asia. 1t
was these people-the famous Manchus-
who gave their name to Manchuria, though
they never penetrated to the north very far
beyond Kirin.
During the seventeenth century, bursting
out from their Businesses and breaking
through the Great Wall, the Manchus con-
quered the whole of China, and, setting up
q dynasty of their own, introduced a period
OF almost unparalleled prosperity and splen-
dor. Their house still bears rule over the
most shattered state. Thus Manchuria
Qike M0nGelias in earlier days. was added
to the Chinese empire by conquest. not be-
cause the Chinese conquered the Manchus,
but because the Manchus conquered the
Chinese. Large numbers of the Chinese
found their way into the magnificent terri
tory thus thrown open to their enterprise,
but they penetrated very little into the
northern districts, which remained a land
of virgin forests, swarming with wild ami
mails and game.
This was all changed when, after the
second Anglo-Chinese war, the Russians.
taking advantage of the disorganiZed con-
d1tion of China, seized the whole of mari
time Manchuria, bringing their own Sibe-
rian frontier down to Corea and shutting
cut Chinese Manchuria from the sea. ex-
cept on the Gulf of Pechii. Near the
southern end of the new province is a mag
nifcent inlet of the sea, formerly known as
Victoria bay, but rechristened by its new
owners Peter the Great bay, and on it's
hot h,tiIf f1nsv
Pacific stronghold, Vladivostock. or THE
Dominion of the East" the terminus of the
Siberian railway.
1t was in the summer of 1898 that the
present writer visited the place, travelling
tnlther by Japanese steamer with about
dozen other passengers, representing al
most as many different nationalities Warm
sunshine and clear, blue seas day after day
rendered the voyage delightful one while
the scenery round the coasts of Japan and
Corea was certainly all that could possibly
nave been wished. Rocky shores, with fire.
quent villages, backed by granite noun
tains, wooded in places almost to their
SUBMITS, and blue island-strewn waters
dotted with the white or brown sails of
1nnumerable junks are the usual features
or the coasts of Japan. The eastern shore
Of Corea is wilder, and it's rocky noun
tains, rising almost without foothills from
the sea, are very sparsely wooded, while
owing to the great desire all Coreans have
to live inland, seaside villages are few and
far between
Peter the Great bay Is many miles in ex-
tent; It's smooth waters are diversified by
numerous islands, and its indented shores
consist OF low hills covered with forests
On one of the peninsulas jutting into it
stands Viadivostock, and historical associa-
tlons alone are wanted to make the site al
most equal to that Of Athens or Naples
The harbor would be almost an ideal one
were 1T not for the ice in winter and the
constant mists In summer, which, how
ever, are heavy drawbacks 1t was diff
cut 10 believe In the almost tropical heat
or June that the whole place was ever
frozen up, but being on the east coast of a
continent, Nladivostock is exposed to the
full force of the Arctic currents in winter
Inc winding channel. which leads among
Islands and prOmontories into the sheltered
bay which forms the harbor, Is, needless to
say, guarded by bristling array of forts,
put both English and japanese war vessels
nave succeeded In passing right up into the
inner port during fogs, unnoticed by the
military authorities-feats which are said
to have greatly lessened the confidence of
the Russians in the impregnability of the
STRONGHOLD, and which have certainly led
TO the most stringent regulations as to
the number of foreign ships of war which
may anchor off Vladivostock at the same
time.
AS our own vessel glided up to her moor
ings Qn the absence of fogs) a little Incl
dent occurred. which was in the highest
degree gratifying to the English and Amer
leans we had on board. One Of the pas
sian official came off to meet him. The
official bowed and began talking Russian:
the F,renchman also bowed, and began
speaking French. They both shook their
heads, and then the official said "Speakey
English? The Frenchman at once bright
ened uD and said, Yes. SIR" and the con-
versation (about the great merits of each
others countries) was continued in the most
execrable English.
Landing has to be effected in Chinese
sampans The water is almost viscous
with jellyfish. who do not seem to be in
the least Inconvenience by the shipping
The pier is of the most primitive type. The
town extends right across the end Of the
peninsula. but the best streets are built
facing the harbor. The site is very hilly
but the woods in the immediate neighbor-
hood have been somewhat recklessly de-
stroyed, and stepping ashore-as in so
many English ports-is apt to be a disen-
chantment. The streets are straight and
broad. but untidy, and the whole place has
very unfinished look, almost as many
houses being in process of erection as are
completed. The sidewalks are neatly paved
with wood, but the roads are badly kept
and there are not very many carriages.
Some streets have decidedly European
look and Russian soldiers are very much
In evidence. but the Chinese are more
numerous than any other nationality, all
the manual work being done by them, and
most Of the trade being in their hands. In
point of numbers the Russians come next,
and after them the Japanese. Except the
Russians, there are not many Europeans in
the place, though the Germans are suffi-
ciently numerous to maintain little Luth-
eran chapel
The town does not contain any very
striking buildings. Long lines of red bar
racks are very conspicuous; the ordinary
houses are of brick, plaster or wood. and
of commonplace European design. There is
a large church in the usual Russian style,
with six octagonal cupolas The museum
a substantial building near the gateway
erected to commemorate the Cesarevchs
visit-contains a most interesting collection
of Siberian antiquities, mostly bone and
stone implements, idols, weapons, ETC., be-
sides a few models of sledges and boats
All the labels being in Russian only, ii is
rather difficult for a foreigner to make
things out very exactly.
But by far the most interesting thing
about Vladivostock is the famous railway,
which it is hoped will one day make it
possible to travel from the Baltic to the
Pacific in something well under a fort
night, the distance being very much greater
than the total length of our own projected
Cape to Cairo line. The station is brick
and-stone building, standing close to the
harbor and bearing the date at which the
Asiatic end of the line was begun-1S91.
The engines are American, turned out at
the Baldwin works, in Philadelphia, and
arranged to burn wood. The carriages are
painted different colors, according to class
es-first dark blue; second. yellow; third,
green. Their inside arrangements are ex-
tremely comfortable, the backs Of the soft
cushioned seats bending IN IN form hadS