The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-06
IESISINAS M0aNlNS AR PBllN@.

: the south and southeast coasts are ex-
/ hibited all the climatic characteristics
of tropical regions
The two seasons depend there upon
! the monsoons. The wet season comes
with the monsoon from the southwest
and lasts from April to October. The
dry season, arriving with the northeast
monsoon, continues from October to
April At Canton the average yearly
temperature is about ~ degrees +. In
January it is about So degrees and only
% at Peking. In July the avera ge
for the southern city of Canton is 80
degrees and for the northern capital,
Peking. y degrees.
It is in the northern or most attract
i've region that Picking lies. in latitude
! Al degrees north, and, while the sum
mers are long and hot and the tempera-
ture ranges as high as los degrees, it
falls III the winter as low as 6 degrees
| below zero. A German diplomat is cred
1 tied with saying, You approach Pc
I king in tears, but you leave it weep
ing" At first sight, and particularly on
first experience of the filthy streets and
noisome doors, one is repealed, but on
further acquaintance it improves, espe-
cially in the opinion of the legationers,
who manage to extract q. great deal of
enjoyment from their life within the
walls of the Chinese capital
While the Picking summers are intoI-
erably hot and the roads are enveIoped
in clouds of dust, the winters are ex-
tremely enjoyable, provided one pro-
Vides against the extremes of tempera-
ture. The air is brisk and celebrating
and dry and sparkling as champagne.
But for this quality, in fact, contin-
uaI pestilence might prevail in Picking,
owing to the almost total lack of sani-
fary arrangements. In spring and au-
tufnn all agree that there is a delicious
blending of frost and sun, and the keen
air braces the nerves like a tonic At
the present time both Picking and the
great Pe-chi-n plain present their
brightest climatic attractions to their
unlimited visitors from abroad
While life in Picking was at first look
ed upon as a sort of exile by foreign
ministers and the legation attaches and
while for several years after the CAPT.
tel was invaded by them, they regarded
themselves in the light of martyrs to
duty, there has been of late a change
for the better. In summer they go out
to the western hills, where they occupy
the ancient temples and palaces of for
mer princes. or make excursions to the
famous Ming tombs and the great wall.
If any number of the troops are quar-
tered in or near Picking, they will prob
ably occupy portions of the vast and
beautiful hunting park and the grounds
of the summer palace outside the walls,
small detachments being kept within
on call for emergencies
There will be high revelry in Peking
this coming winter if the legations are
re-established and the various COM
mands are CHARTERED within hail, for
even in times when the legationers are
thrown upon their own resources there
are state dinners and balls. skating
carnivals and sledging parties. Though
snow does not fall to any great depth,
the meats around the walls are frozen
over for several weeks, and in the city
skating Kinks are made by flooding the
legation tennis courts and roofing them
over with poles covered with bamboo
mating
1T was a glorious winter. one to look
back upon all ones life wrote an
English lady who had passed the sea-
son there. Some way Picking was a
place quite unique and different from
anything one would ever meet else
where Society was charming, being
altogether diplomatic and consisting of
so many different legations of all ma
tionalities. The climate was magnifi-
cent at that time. from October till the
end of March-bright blue. cloudless
sky, fresh, keen air and not one drop of
rain. October and November were ideal
months. Just like the early autumn at
home. From December to the end Of
February we had a covered rink in the