The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-22

G. and spent four happy days in her
houseboat protected by the Russian
flag, four Cossacks and the companion
ship of some gentlemen of the legation
in another boat, where we dined and
lunched. At night We anchored and
slept peacefully on the waters of the
winding Pei-Ho in spite of the noise Of
the guns fired at intervals by our Cos
sacks simply to warn the pirates that
we were armed and ready to give them
n warm welcome.
At Tung-Chow we dispatched our
luggage by carts to Peking, and instead
of riding on ponies or donkeys, or TAX
ing mule litters, or the springless Pc
king carts, we traversed the remain
ing 10 miles in boats on the broad and
beautiful canal, enjoying a panorama
of villages, pagodas, monuments and
boat life. until we found ourselves
under the massive walls of Peking-
Peking, which Chinese historians claim
was n great city 1121 B. c. We entered
sedan chairs, which had been sent to
await US outside the "Chi-en-Men," or
great gate of the wall around the Tar
tar City, and soon our party was being
carried under the frowning archways
OF this imposing gate. up Legation
street. to our homes.
My first impression of Peking was
walls, for every house is surrounded
by walls forming its compound. The
Imperial City lies like the kernel Of
nut with it's yellow wall, seven miles in
length. The Tartar City, in which the
mobiles live, and where the legations
are, has the most wonderful avail i
have ever seen-25 miles in length-and
the Chinese City, in its turn, has its
walls and gates.
often felt during those long months
as n convict must-I often had Wild
longing to see the horizon. / soon
found. when this mood was On me. that
l could crafty it by inducing some one
of the many secretaries or students OF
the legations to go with me to the
Hata-Men gate, where the keeper w3s
known to be bribable. For a small
consideration he would allow us to
ascend the wall. Here we found our
selves 80 feet above the Tartar City, on
a broad causeway SO feet wide, on
which we could walk and gaze at the
western hills.
How well l remember my first walk
on the wall! After mass was over at
the French legation chapel a gay
crowd of diplomats and ladies was
standing in group under the trees at
the entrance, and | was making the
acquaintance of the many delightful
persons whose society was to give Pc
king its charm for the next year and a
half The Comtesse de S. proposed
that Baron de Y. newly arrival min
ister) and l should join her and one or
two others in her Sunday morning
walk on the wall. / do not know what
Baron KS feelings were when we
reached the broad top of the wall and
found it n labyrinth of high weeds,
whose sharp thorns played havoc with
my pretty dress and best boots, to my
great dismay.
Presently l heard the baron, who was
always as faultlessly dressed as If he
were ready to stroll down Piccadilly,
exclaim, "J'en al bien assez! Et vous
mademoiseile" "Oh, nor' cried the
enthusiasts. 1--WE must go to the Chi.
en-Me1. where one gets the best view
Of the palaces" l glanced at Baron
Y. and saw a great rent in his pearl
gray trousers. while both his and my
patent leather boots were ruined.
AS they assured US, our only view OF
the imperial palaces was from the tor
OF the. wall, at the great gate, and
even here we could only see innumer
able beautiful yellow tiled roofs, ap
pearing above the trees of parks, in