The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
been greatly exaggerated by French trav-
eiers anxious TO appear heroic. He re-
marks with somewhat caustic sarcasm.

10 Walk uilarmeu. q nElc home 10 MS I'M ditti
/ dinner. fine night. His Siberian host-in the
! understanding town of hriyccholovo. whose
! 1l5Oa inhabitants, he assures his readers, were
! all Of thcin the scum OF Siheia-does not order
out the carriage at 10 o'clock at night. conse-
Iuently, what whirl of thoughts! Rae, anger
ut NY host. regret Tor my care!cs@ness good
resolutions for the 'uture-shouid ever come out
alive-then terror, and finally resignation to the
worst. Must l detail my agony. my hesitation,
my siunhlingSI l reached my room drencheJ
| with sweat, shaking with fever and fatigue, and
| collapsed, iaiEting, only conscious Tat had
spent IN hour @nd a half" in badly lighted
street.
FOOLS written in this tone OF heroic combating
with wif,:'nills do not give i.uch helpful infor'
! nation as to he real Siberia now in process Of
| development.
The author believes that new era is
| 6awning for Siberia, with the completion
of the Trans Siberian Railway; that with
| improved industrial and commercial meth
| DDS. and good communications, she will
| "be thrown. armed at all points into the
/ commercial arena" This prospect is GER
/ tainly worth attention from the world.
j Air. Co,quhoun gives full account OF the
mineral and ether resources of Siberia, and
| of all details which can be Of interest TO
the student of commercial conditions.
Among other things he makes the interest,"
ing statement that the Siberian route will
. come to be favorite with travellers, since
it will cost about half as much to go from
London 10 Russia by rail as by mail steam
er. The freight traffic, however. will con-
tinue to be by sea. Another startling
statement which he makes is that as a
soiG-producing country Siberia already
holds the fourth place in the worlds pro-
duction. Moreover Russian sentiment,
among all classes of people, is at present
solidly supporting the Government. There
are three hard nuts for the English states
man to crack.
particularly Interesting chapter, in
view of recent developments, is that deal
ing with the city of Pekin. of which the
author speaks with a familiarity based on
personal observation and experience He
gives the best description of this Old World
city, perhaps, that has ever been given in
book of travel. 1t is fascinating from
beginning TO end. even when the details
are unpleasant, as some of them eEaphat-
ically are. A part OF it is as foiiows:
Viewed from the wall in summer, the Tartar
City appears mass Of foliage with roofs peeping
through here and there, harmony OF green ard
grey, each main thoroaghiare broad. dark track,
swsffiling with atcInies and running in long per
spective 10 the gate tower rising IN the blue dis
lance. In the centre Of all is the Forbidden
City, enclosed in high walls OF :adtd ion.
and appearing from the city wall to consist main
Is of LIS oi giittering, yelowtiled pavilions,
extending TO just within the "Ct'icn Men, or
front gate No other buildings of more than
one story berg permitted in the city. the palace
roofs stand high above the grey Of tiles that
surges all around them. Exceptions are the tenn
piles and pagodas. and the French Catholic Cath
edTal-the only s;sire in the city, and great eye
sore to the Pekinese. During the sum
mer rains the thorouglsiares become siougfs OF
unimaginsble desTond. Men and mules have been
drowned in the cesspools which form between the
houses and the ernbankinent. and even the street
in which the foreign legations situated is rot
much better. Outside the Netherlands Legation
few years ago pond OF this sort was a.,pro-
pristely named the Zuyder Zee. Practi-
cally there is street lighting, which is the less
missed the majority OF Chinese stay at home
after dark. There are, it is true, quaint wooden
stands about four feet high and with tops forming
sort o! lantern cage, which rise like beaccils al
| intervals along the edge Of the ernbanked road
| way. But the mutton-fat dips which they
| intended TO burn are only lighted for few min
utrs in each month, while the cortege 0! the
f, General 0. the Nine Gates the Governor OF
Pekin) is passing On his round Of inspection! The
consequent blackness Of noonless night in PekiH
| is difficult 10 describe-an inky, tangible black
ness in which the paper lanterns of belated foot
passengers and carts flicker like will-o'thewisps
Even when armed with lantern. caution is
quired TO avoid leprous beggsrs, pariah dogs, and
cesspools-all mere smludges in the general dark
ness The merchant at the treaty port
remembers the hours visit he once compelled
TO make TO the filthy native city sort OF
horrible nightmare, and is only too content TO
within the bounds OF the well-oTdered settlement
In Pekin il is the very heart OF this native
city, that gentle lady and fastidious attache have
to be content to live Ard there are, besideg bad
roads and odors, dust and dirt, corresponding
disagreeaies of moral nature. In the tresty
port concession the foreigner is on his own
ground il is, if anyone, the native who appears
ridiculous and out OF place.
In Pekir the case is reversed. II is. one feels
only the ever present fear of bodily chastiscmcnt
that restraints the popniace to an attitude OF sui
len dislike, or at the very best OF polite indiffcr
ence: their true sentiments being however voiced
by the rowdies who, from safe distance, shout
constant abuse-obscenities Of which the mildest
specimen, and one incessEBtly heard, is not re-
peatsble here On the foreigners approach
Wang calls 10 Sung: mi chiu chin lai la.''
CHere's your maternal uncle)-a roundabout in
suit, rot to the man addressed. but TO the for
egner's sister, You NAV be thoroughly
convinced of the sterling qualities Of the Chi
nese and sincerely well disposed toward them as
4 nation. and yet brick hurled from the CITY
wall Won ride below, or ? rejection on female
relatives of whom you may happen 20 be fond
bawled in your ear, may make the most iorbcar-
ing very angry.
All of which goes to explain why the
foreign colony. in Pekin were in a way
unprepared for the violence o. the Box
ers. They were used to threats, hatred,
and violence
But life in Pekin Is not Gl! unsavory.
Here is bit OF the bright side:
The epigrarn Of late German plenipo,entiary
is no less true for being witty: lyon approach
Pckin in tears, but You leave L weeping!' The
factor mainly responsible for such a miracle is
the quality Of the air-in winter dry and spark
ling, the very champagne OF atmospheric vir-
tagcs; in spring and autumn delicious blending
of frost and sun. Life is then continual
eShilarstion, the floods Of light pour tonic into
tho blood. the keen air braces the nerves until
mere movement is joy. After the summer heats
and steamy doSnpours. who shall describe the
first crisp blow from the north-the whispered
message Of autumn from the steppes? Or who for
&c; the sweet AeoliaB melody Of the wheeling
pigeons; the almost motionless wirgs Of the great
brown hawks poised against the blue; the spark
ling frosted hills when has fallen and every
outline shines clear in the luminous air; the
tinkling Of distant camel bells: or, indeed. any
OF the hundred nothings that make up the unique |
and inde>ctihabic Pelin atmosphere!
Follows an account OF social life in |
Pekin, both amusing and significant. as |
il reveals the relations existing between |
the various legations. Among the enec- |
dotes of foreign Ministers are two or |
three concerning Count Cassini. OF Pekin |
social life among the foreigners, Mr.. Col |
quhoun says:
Winter was the season for every sort Q, gayety
dinners, balls, concerts theatrlcals following in
continuous succession, which derived additional |
piquancy from the surroundings, far removed |
from the commonplace of Western cities
The fantastic lantern lights revealing for an in
slant, one ioted along in ruts and hoows, |
small inIprossionst pictures framed in darkness; |
moaning beggar curitd under a wall two |
snarling pariais, a deserted allcy-to be as In. |
stantly swallowed up again in shadow. Finally |
the entrance, straight from on. this medieval |
horror and darkness. into the warmth, light, and |
music OF a ballroom hundred tapers reflected !
from trembling chandeliers in the shining par
quet, diamonds flashing. the stream of dancers
swaying 10 the RHYTHM of the waltz the ripple of
merry laughier-who in this ecene Of fairylani |
could spare thought to the frozen squalor Of the
sleeping city outside, in whose streets each
winter dawn, men are found dead Of starratinr, |