Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-12-29
ENeLIsHWoMAN's TOUR.
First British Woman to Go Alone
Around tho World.

First British Woman to Go Alone
Around tho World.
Mrs. Skeffington Smyth, wife Of Maj
Skeffington Smyth, Of the Coldstream
Guards, now serving with the North
Nigeria regiment, Is probably the first
English lady to set out alone, says the
London Express, on a tour round the
world.
A genuine love Of travelling and
fearless spirit carried this lady trav-
eler safely through many perils, espe-
cially in China, where, in addition to
exploring almost every corner Of Pc
kin, she journeyed 1000 miles up the
Yang -Kiang river as far as the
remotest treaty port, Ichang.
Starting in the middle Of last Janua-
nv. accompanied only by her maid, Mrs
Skeffington Smyth journeyed first from
Southampton to Hong Kong by one OF
the North German Lloyd vessels. Can
ton, Woochow, Shanghai, Pekin and
the Yang-tse-K river were success
sively visited, and leaving China, Mrs
Skeffington Smyth made tour Of ia
pan. Crossing thence to Canada, she
,raversed the Dominion by the Cana
dian Pacific railway, visited Quebec
Ottowa, and finally, New York, whence
she sailed for Plymouth and arrived
back in London three weeks ago.
In an interview with an Express rep
resentative, Mrs. Skefington Smytn
gave a few of her impressions of China
when I reached Canton" she said
'I had my first experience Of real Chi
nese life. There was taken to visit
a prison and saw poor wretch kneel-
ing In chains before. two mandarins
who were examining him for some Of
fence. was told that If waited fo1
five minutes might see him tortured
But I had had enough, so left.
AT every town or village touched
I saw a great many men wandering
about with huge square collars OF wooo
locked round their necks. 1t Is a pun
ishment akin to the old-time pillory
Each collar is inscribed with the Of
fence of the wearer and the punishment
is known among the natives as losing
face
China impressed me as an empire
Of blue. Everything in the way OF
stuffs Is dyed blue. The amount OF In
digo used in the process must be enor-
nous. Except among people Of high
rank, whose dress displays other hues
there is a distinct want Of color every
where"
Mrs. Skeffngton Smyth found g
marked Improvement in the physique
of the people as she journeyed north
wards. The temperament Of the ma
tives seemed to improve as we'll. She
was also much struck with Wei-hai-
wei, where, she says, large numbers
of villas and hotels are springing up.
| She visited the famous Temple Of
Heaven, which, before the siege, had
never been entered by Europeans. II
is said that the royal family Of China
do not now know that foreigners enter
this precious fabric or there would be
trouble. Mrs. Skefington Smytf
climbed the glistening white marble
steps to the high platform under the
open sky-for the temple is roofiess-
Where the emperor repairs periodically
for prayer.
There are traces of the siege al
over the city. Large tracts still remain
in ruins and, of course, all the exami-
nation halls are demolished. The lega'
ton quarter has been enormously en-
larged and strongly fortified.
Wherever she went in China, Mrs
Skeffington Smyth was impressed by
the natives absolute hate Of foreign
ers. Time after time was Foreign
devil!" shouted at her as she walked
through the towns and villages. THIS
was especially the case in Canton.
Where the river ran between noun
tains, Mrs. Skeffington Smyth says, the
floral display on the riverside slopes
was beautiful in the extreme. Here
and there were wonderful masses o:
wild rose blossoms and the verdure
everywhere was splashed with sprays
of pink and white roses. The flowers
trailed about even over the houses, sne
gables of which curved from among
the lovely vegetation in the quaintes,
possible manner. And the scent Of
orange blossoms around the little VII
lagos was a delightful experience.
At Ichang the river is three-quarters
of a mile broad, but beyond that towi
the rapids commence and navigation IS
perilous. Only half a mile further uE
the banks are but 200 yards apart and
the water runs fast and deep between
high mountains.
II went up one or two Of these deer
gorges," Mrs. Skeffington Smyth said
but dared not land anywhere or
should have been mobbed. Even ir
the towns this would have happened
except in the British concessions.
Beyond Ichang there are ninety
miles Of rapids and the junks which
journey up and down the river tc
trade in produce have to be tracked.
This is done by coolies, between fifty
and sixty hauling at each junk and the
whole journey Of ninety miles up the
rapids takes about one month to COM
plete.
II could not help being struck by
the childish methods Of labor. Every
thing far inland is carried in wheelbar-
rows, each with tiny sail to assist
the locomotion. I saw coolies engaged
in making dykes laboriously wheeling