Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-04-24

the ssvages. A few years before this
a ship WAS wrecked near here, and these
savages lived on fricasseed Greek and
fried Swede for some time, and are to-
day caEnibles when opportunity serves.
All during the time we were at Anger
Point a volcano was Selching smoke in
the day time and fire at night. The
air was dark from the smoke. The
dust covered the sails of our ship, and
the decks inches deep. 1t is interest
ing to note here, that little later this
island, where the volcano was vomit-
ing smoke and ashes, suddenly sank
beneath the sea and some G0,00O lives
we're lost. Our voyage from here was
past succession OF beautiful tropical
islands. The clear, blue water, with a
tropical green island as its setting, is
thing OF beauty. There we're flowers
on these islands so large they could be
seen from our ship, as could the pretty,
colored birds fitting from tree to tree,
but there is something in the air that
causes languid feeling. You do not
care to make any exertion, you also
feel sleepy all the time. The sweet
smell which comes over the water in
the balmy breeze, seems to overpower
the senses; you seem in a trance,
everything seems unreal. 1t is in this
latitude that you invite blindness if
you lie with the face toward the moon,
out in the open. This fact is we'll
known to all sailors Of deep-water
vessels, and they don't lie down on
deck and sleep on bright moonlight
night without covering the face.
In this region the moon is straight
overhead when at the highest, and at
midday the sun is in the same posi-
ton.
This is on the equator. As we be-
gan to work our way up on to the sea
of China, we began to meet the China
junks with the queer one-piece sail,
high stern and low bow, with o big
eye painted on each side OF the bow.
When our ship would become almost
becalmed in light wind. these junks
would hover around us like vultures.
These were real pirate junks. The
Captain did not allow them alongside
of our vessel at all. They would come
sailing up in the light wind like birds
OF prey. There would be only one or
two persons in sight, the remainder
under cover. A short time before our
ship came through here Ito be more
correct q year before) these pirates
boarded the brig Abbie Palmer OF
Boston, and carried off all their junks
would hold in the way of plunder and
wounded several of the crew. ! was
afraid they would not tackle our ship.
The Captain had case OF Henry re-
peating rifles and l would have been
pleased to have killed pirate or two,
but we had no such luck, and one
morning found us off Yokohama,
Japan, near be end OF our voyage.
A pilot was taken aboard. He had
an excited conversation with our cap
tain, then the mate came to me and
said that President Garfield had been
shot and was not expected to live.
The news had just arrived on the City
of Peking from Frisco. When we
entered Yokahama harbor, which is
very much like Seattle harbor, the
warships of the different nations were
firing distress guns on account OF
President Garfield's assassination. Yo.
kohama has no docks, no horses on
her streets, and at the time but one
railroad from there to Tokeo, fifty
miles of narrow-gauge. Our ship did
not stop long at this port. as most of
her cargo was destined for Kobie,
Japan. l did not 60 ashore in Yoke.
hama. but when we arrived at Kobie,
the Captain kindly gave me shore
leave every other day, and saw much
of this city and the surrounding coun-
try. The streets are narrow; there
are no horses on them, nor were
horses used to haul the carriages. 1t
is all done by men. The conveyance
is just like baby-carriage, and has
but two wheels, and is called q" jim
rickshaw." For ten cents you can get
into one OF these vehicles and ride all
day. 1t seemed queer at first to 60 to
q livery stable and order a man and
carriage.
While in Kobie / went out and
visited the tea gardens. I saw one
little plot of ground in an inclosure
where the tea taken from it was worth
$40 per pound. l also saw hundreds
OF acres OF tea bushes of the cheaper
variety. On one farm there were over
400 Japanese girls picking, curing and
otherwise preparing the tea for market.
When l first walked the streets of
Kobie, could not tell a man from q
woman; they, with some exceptions,
all wore dresses. When you visit a
house you remove your shoes, and
enter in your stocking feet. The
banks, stores and other business
houses, all open on the street side.
There are no doors or windows front
ing the street. When the merchant
begins business of morning, he simply
folds the street side of the store into
layers and stands it around the corner,
squats in the center of his stock and
ID ready for business. The Japs have