Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-10
DIARY OF TRAVEL IN ORIENT
Omaha WOmsu's Notes Of Trip From Ma
p, Mia to Tacoma.
SIGHTS AND SCENES IN CHINA AND Japan
visits at Hong Kong and Canton
and n Trip to the EXPOSE
tion at Osaka are
Described.

@hN pApWAA6 Dull VI Nh6 NO1dA0 Va NaAes
f.. V. Johnson OF Omaha, a passenger on
board the steamship fremont, IRON Manila,
+. l., to Tacoma, Wash, is an interesting
one and will repay perusal. Mrs. johnson
kept a daily diary of the voyage, from
which the accompanying narrative is
CLEANED:
The good ship fremont sailed from
Manila at 1:0 .. m. Friday, March 20. The
sea was very calm. The fremont is a
twin-screw steamer of 9,6O6 registered tons
and 1880 measured tons, length sos feet
and beam IS feet; speed from II to 16 knots.
We arrived at Hong Kong. China, at 6 p.
m. Saturday, a total distance Of 66 miles
from Manila. The bay of this port is a
very beautiful one. When standing up 1t
has the appearance of a punch bowl; the
mountains rising on every side in almost a
perfect circle. As we steamed up We
passed thirteen British war vessels, battle
ships, cruisers, etc, and three American
war ships, the Oregon, New Orleans and
one other. All of them, English and
American. dipped their colors and an
swered to our salute. Then we passed
numerous torpedo boats and torpedo boat
destroyers, and then came 20 the u. S.
transport Sherman. the liners Dorlc,
Empress of China and about forty
others, freighters, etc, but all of them
looked as pigmies when compared to the
monster ship we were on.
In Hong Kong HarbOr.
= On the southeast side of the harbor 10
the town of Victoria. island of Hong Kong.
and directly opposite. on the mainland of
China, the town of Kowloon, where the
English coallng station, dry docks and ship
yards, government and private. are To-
Gated. From the deck of our boat it looked
as IL magic had been employed in building
Al. zfArv - VTtotO-f, - ~ AA,..a - Ill
on the mountain sides, one above the other,
entil they rise to a height of nearly 1900
feet. In reality they are built on ter
Faces, but we could not see the terraces
from the boat.
In the evening, after dinner, we went
on deck again and the sight which greeted
us was almost beyond description. It
looked as II we were in the pit OF an
amphitheater, the electric lights Of the town
having been lit and rising tiers on tiers,
until one could hardly distinguish the top
most from the stars.
We went ashore the following morning
end made a tour of the stores until noon.
Had "tifin" at the Hong Kong hotel and
then more shopping. About 3 o'clock we
all got into 'rickshas and rode along the
water front. passed by the polo grounds
and saw two teams play at pony polo. then
20 a tea house for lunch, and then back to
NV hSpl-s~.NAh tOiiOWAHE uhg We Went
ashore again and took sedan chairs to the
tramway station, which is on the third ter
race, took the car to the highest terrace.
the highest peak on the island. The car
ran up n narrow gorge which was at times
almost perpendicular, and then stopped
sbout two-thirds way up the terrace where
the Peak hotel is located at the end of the
car line. We again got into sedan chairs
until we had accomplished all but about
lN0 fppf md from fbfa noi1f q xuo, g.
steep for the coolies to attempt It further
with the chairs. so we were obliged to get
out and climb to the top afoot. The effort
was rewarded with the magnificent view we
obtained; a panorama from a height of
$500 feet OF the entire British colony. On
our return we stopped at the Peak hotel
again for "tinin' and then returned to the
town.
i Ride I'm n Sampan
I've reached town too late for the steam
lHuach, so had to go out to the steamship
in\ a ~"sanpan" a native sail boat, built
very muen on the order of a Junk; narrow
and low at the bow and high and broad
at the stern. A little aft OF the mast. which
Is about 'midships, a small pit with a
seating capacity of about four is provided
for the accommodation Of passengers.
These boats are operated by women. The
crew generally consists Of the family. The
fne we were on had the following: The
iEther. and the only man on board, was at
te stern steering. the easiest work on
bHard; the daughter. about ~ years of
age. was amidships attending to the sail
and rowing; the mother. at the bow, row.
ing and handling the boat hook when
necessary and also incidentally attending to
the children. She had a baby strapped to
her back and another in her lap. These
people eat, sleep and die on these boats; in
fact never 80 ashore unless they posi-
lively have to. We reached the ship toe
late for dinner, so had a light lunch.
We spent the following day sightseeing
again In Hong Kong and I'm the afternoon
went aboard the little river steamer Hem
how, bound for Canton, The scenery goinR
up the Canton river was very picturesque.
We arrived at Canton about a. m. and
after breakfast engaged a Chinese guide
for the day to take US through the city.
We went ashore In ~''sanpans' and there
hired sedan chairs and three coolies each
We carried our lunch with us from the
boat, as there are no hotels Mt for tourists
In Canton proper. The streets OF Canton
are dark and filthy and so narrow and
crooked that two sedan chairs can barely
pass each other, and one cannot see more
than fifteen feet ahead at a time.
cantOn's Appearance.
The houses are high and built close to.
Cether, the roofs almost touching over,
head. The guide took US to all the large
stores and TO the silk and Canton linen
weavvfs. Then we went to the execution
grounds. where We saw the Official execu,
TONER. and on through the town 70 the
examination grounds. wherein students arr
prepared and examined for all chiness
government positions. These grounds ar.
enclosed by a high stone wall. inside OF
which are 100 cells. also OF stone. One
OF these cells is allotted TO each applicant
He Is compelled to remain there three day.
at a timedn preparation; one day OF leisure
"a three more Of study and so on for twenty,
! seven days. At the end OF this time he q
considered Mt TO take the examination
The percentage OF students passing Is very
small. Never has II exceeded eighty out O
each class OF LOO.
We next visited a pagoda at the out
skirts OF the city. which is located on TOT
OF a hill, and had to get out OF our chair,
and climb a flight OF stone steps, then VI
a winding path and on 20 the NTH stor,
ofithe pagoda, where we lunched TheI
widowed more Sightseeing. on top OF IN,